Annual 9/11 commemoration remains too important to miss for many Valley residents

AUSTINTOWN

A steady rainfall didn’t deter Rose Blakeman from spending part of her Thursday evening at the Mahoning Valley 9/11 Memorial Park on South Raccoon Road.

With an umbrella held above her, Blakeman, along with countless others, endured the less-than-favorable conditions present for the 6 p.m. ceremony to mark the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which claimed the lives of 2,997 people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and a Shanksville, Pa., field.

For Blakeman, the event — which included a display of Engine 257, one of the firetrucks that responded to the Twin Towers on 9/11, along with the posting of the colors, music and a 21-gun salute — was just too important to miss.

“It’s absolutely something ... we should do for our country,” she explained, “and to respect the people who died for us, so we never forget.”

Blakeman, who lives in Austintown, was accompanied by Tina Sollitto, also of Austintown, along with 7-year-old Josie Sollitto and 9-year-old Halley Houk — both of whom knew about 9/11 only from their teachers and their parents. The two adults agreed that teaching the next generation about 9/11 is imperative.

At the ceremony, which lasted more than an hour, Mahoning Valley residents had the opportunity not only to learn, but also to reflect and to remember.

Sgt. Anthony Nagle did just that.

As the event’s guest speaker, Nagle talked about his experiences as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. His decision to join the military and his desire to help his country came not long after 9/11.

Read more about this year's commemoration in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.