9/11 - and now 4/15 - recalled with church bells, tears and white roses in ceremonies in Boston newslogosdesign.blogspot/2013/09/911-and-now-415-recalled-with-church.html By Maria Cramer, Peter Schworm and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff Church bells were tolled, tears were shed, and a wreath of white roses was placed today in front of the Garden of Rememberance on the Public Garden as Massachusetts remembered the terror attack of 9/11 â” and the Boston Marathon bombings of 4/15. Shortly after 8 a.m. today, Laura Ogonowski joined Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Attorney General Martha Coakley, and relatives of others who died on Sept. 11 to place the wreath of roses in front of the memorial for the victims of 9/11, which included Ogonowskiâ™s father, American Airlines pilot John Ogonowski. âœEvery year that passes is another year we are not with our father,â™â™ said Laura Ogonowski, who was 16 years old when her father, the pilot of Flight 11, was killed in the 9/11 hijacking and terror attack on New York City. âœWe miss him every day.â™â™ Also in attendance today was Charles Coombs, who is now 81 years old and was on hand to honor his son, Jeffrey, who was a passenger on Flight 11. The elder Coombs has attended each memorial service for the last 12 years and has no plans to stop. âœI just think, that if it was reversed, if it was me on the plane instead of Jeffrey, heâ™d be here for me,â™â™ Charles Coombs said. âœSo Iâ™ve been here for 12 of these. I know heâ™d come for me.â™â™ Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, who gained national attention in the wake of the Boston Marathon terror attack on Patriots Day, was preparing to speak at a State House ceremony this morning. To him, there was a common, painful link between the two attacks. Both, he said, were more than just crimes committed by a small group of people. âœItâ™s an assault on the nation,â™â™ Davis said. Menino did not speak during the ceremony. During the 9/11 attacks, 206 people with ties to Massachusetts were killed. And during the Boston Marathon terror bombings and the pursuit of the alleged terrorists, four people were killed and more than 260 injured. At the State House, as the mourning sound of taps was played, the American flag was raised, but only to half-staff in honor of those killed. After a moment of silence, Governor Deval Patrick and relatives of the victims began reading the names of their lost loved ones, sometimes adding a personal memory as they did. This yearâ™s 9/11 ceremony included a moment of silence for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings and a tribute to the first responders. Bill Richard, whose 8-year-old son, Martin, died and whose 7-year-old daughter, Jane, lost a leg, is expected to speak. The ceremony will be followed by the presentation of the Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery, an award named in memory of Madeline Amy Sweeney, an American Airlines flight attendant on Flight 11 who contacted the airlineâ™s ground services to provide information about the five terrorists who had hijacked the plane. Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe. Follow her on Twitter @globemcramer. Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe. Follow him on Twitter @globepete. John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:19:26 +0000
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