Seven years ago, it's hard to believe, but seven years ago, we gathered right here as a community and veterans amphitheater to remember and to commit to those lives that were lost on September 11th would never, would never be forgotten. That we would defend our free and just society in every instance and to build on our country's patriotism that was vigorously renewed on that tragic day. Each year since, for the last seven years, we have gathered here as a community to renew those vows and to relight our torch of light in hope as we move forward. While other communities have chosen to host this event sporadically or not at all since 2001, as a community, we chose a different path. We chose to use this night without interruption to remember our collective obligation, to ensure that justice is done, that freedom prevails, and that the principles of freedom and our nation were found it will never be forgotten. And to live out our theme as a community, catch our spirit, feel our pride. In 2002 President Bush renamed today's remembrance and celebrations as Patriots Day. And as a result, today our events mean so much more to all of us. Inspired by the heroic sacrifices of our firefighters, rescuing law enforcement personnel, military service members, and other citizens. We use their example not just today, but 365 days a year to give us strength, to give us hope, and a bright light to lead us along the path of freedom and democracy. I realize that we all come here tonight from different reasons, some for silence, and for a moment from their busy life to reflect on what we have. Others to remember someone they have lost either in war or in September 11th, 2001, are while serving to protect our community. Others may be here just to gain strength for spending the next hour together with a friend or with a neighbor. No matter how you got here or why you're here, you are most welcome and let's together share a moment of silence and reflect on the manner in which you wish. Please stand for the presentations of the colors presented by the City of Fairfax. Please, in fire, join honor guard and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be led by Boy Scout Troop 187 and members of American Legion Post 177 and veterans of Foreign War post 8469, followed by the singing of the National Anthem led by our own Fairfax City Band. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car. I'm going to get the car Oh! Oh! Oh! That's me! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! It's America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, into His old liberty, and He was His role. Hullers, priests, and punks! I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not going to be able to do it The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The Heak tail, left, face. Forward, too much. Please be seated. It is my honor now to introduce to you the distinguished guests to a very upfront with me and I know there are probably even several others in the audience with us tonight, but please it's my pleasure to introduce to you the members of the Fairfax City Council, Gary Rasmussen, Jeff Greenfield, Joan Cross, Steve Stombries, David Meyer, Dan Drummond. I'd also like to introduce our Commissioner Revenue Page Johnson, our treasurer Steve Maloney. They have also tonight with us, delegate David Bulaba, State Senator Chap Peterson, and I also see in the audience school board member John Bunchron, John, thank you for being here with us. I would also like to ask that any member of the audience who is either served in the past or is currently serving in our military, our police or fire department, to please stand. We owe our gratitude and our appreciation to you. Thank you all very much. If you please stand for the invocation world which will be presented by Reverend Dr. Johnson come before you as one race, human. To remember those who lost their life seven years ago, we ask for your mercy and grace and the power of your Holy Spirit for the soul or the departed to rest in perfect peace. We ask that you send your mercy, compassion and care to the families that have been suffering from the loss from the tragic event of 9-11. We ask the Lord as a nation that you give us the power forgiveness, the strength to continue to do your will, to have those that are less fortunate and to strengthen those that defend our freedom. We ask the Lord that you continue to reward those day by day and give their life to protect the freedom of mankind and the service that we need as a community, county, as a nation and the world of large. God the Creator, we ask the Lord that you give us strength to revoke evil. We are this evil Lord replacement with love and we are this bitterness that there be love and compassion. We ask for love for peace and reconciliation for nations that are turned apart by war. This moment or Lord is for those that have been taken away not by choice but but we also ask that because of the choice that you have of forgiveness, that you reach out to change the minds of those that do not know what freedom means and what love means. We ask the Lord to continue to give our armed forces and all those that protect us, to strengthen the courage and the will to defend our freedom. We bring unto you the members of this community, the mayor, the members of the city council, and every family that's represented here and those that are at home for you to touch them as they reflect on this day. We ask the Lord that He's pretty in our nation to be able to do that, to reach out to many tasks that we have ahead. For freedom is not free. We ask that you, the United us, we love. And to God in us, let us walk together for peace, harmony in the world, but do it so without fear, but with the courage to endure the principles that guide us as a nation. Lord, we thank You for all those various religious entities all over the world and in this community. No matter what their beliefs might be, we ask that You strengthen them as well so that they can support wherever this community wishes off. We thank you for every benefit that we derive from the partnership for progress. We ask for peace for humanity. Peace for those that seek is in their heart. And for the families that have lost more than give them all the beginning of a new life that it can inspire hope in each and every one of us so that we can do that with the Lord who have us to do. We thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I ask that you bless all these witnesses and this crowd of witnesses. I've come here this evening. They have taken their time to come and remember those that we are precious to us. We ask that we unite ourselves to work for the common good. To remember that we are one-race human, regardless of our nationality, color or pre. We ask that you continue to end our oath for a higher calling, to love one another, to serve above self and to give to our community, and to love those that hit us or to defend our freedom with courage. May the Lord give everyone here peace, compassion, love and prosperity. May the Lord bless the city of Fairfax, the county, our state, and may the Lord bless the United States of America. Amen. Please be seated. It is now my pleasure to introduce the Fairfax High, Acapelicoral, led by Susan Marton, who will be singing amazing grace. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh I see to a grace that's on my heart to be. And grace, I feel free. We leave a fresh, a dear, a friend of yours. We are like a baby. The man he changed our whole planet's land. I have a ready ready home. This grace of God, Praise the fruit we say for the star, And a grace will lead thee home. Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my distinguished pleasure to introduce you to our two invited guest speakers who will come forward and share with us their reflections and how they approach this Patriot State. The first will be Bob Sussan Commander, American Legion post 177, who will be followed by Bob Dehaven, who is the owner and CEO of Patriot Harley here in the city. Good evening. Mr. Mayor, members of the City Council, distinguished guests in my fellow Americans. My name is Bob Sussan and we'd like to thank you for including the American Legion and the VFW post-8469 in this bent this evening. On September 11, 2001, I was in New York City and witnessed this act of terrorism in firsthand. I was proud of the politicians who gathered together on Capitol Hill and sang God Bless America. They laid aside political differences and stood shoulder to shoulder. We became a nation united together in, calling upon God to indeed stand beside us and guide us through the night where the light from above. Let us unite today in solemn remembrance in prayer for the families of these great patriots who have suffered such tremendous loss. Let us remember the families of the 343 firefighters and the families of 23 New York Police Department police officers who stepped out into the it to eternity fulfilling their mission to serve and protect. Families of the 75 Ford Authority agents, families of the 184 people who died at the Pentagon and nearly 3,000 others who slipped into eternity on that fateful day. Neither should we forget the families of the brave men and women in our military whose blood has already been shed on foreign soil, defriending our freedom. Let us ask God to bring comfort to every home where they are loved and missed. As we recall the lives that were sacrificed, let us be reminded that they follow in the steps of Jesus Christ who said greater love have no man than this That a man lay down his life for his friends as Americans we must be united we must invite as the Pledge of Allegiance still says one nation under God Indivisible with liberty and justice for all Let our continuing prayer be God God bless America, land that I love. Throughout history, ordinary people have been made heroes by extraordinary times. The 11th of September was a quiet morning. The sun glimmered off men's hat and tallest buildings, and as the west coast lay slumbered in its beds, America was forever changed. This extraordinary event brought out the extra ordinary in so many of the thousands that died at the World Trade Center, 343 were firefighters. Imagine what that means. They made a choice. They answered a call for help. They rushed through the streets of chaos. They looked up at these burning buildings and made a choice. They strapped equipment to their backs and headed into the smoke never to be seen again. We will never know the extent of heroism expressed on that autumn day, but September 11th taught us to appreciate the things we took for granted every day. Real heroes do not ride into town or possess superhuman strength. They are everyday people, born into our communities, places where heroes learn to do good. September 11th gave us a newfound appreciation for neighbors who worked jobs both humble and grand. The immigrant who runs a dry cleaner six days a week so his children can attend college. The teacher who raises not only three children of her own, but 30 of ours. These people also make choices every day, and whilst these choices are not as bold as entering a burning building, they make quite a difference in our lives. Through these choices, they express their patriotism. The simple patriotism of duty and hard work. In the aftermath, we realize that heroes are everyday Americans, who define through their daily tasks and daily chores the simple patriotism of duty and hard work. The tragedy of September 11th re-awake in that sense of community. We can pay tribute to those we lost by rekindling those American values of family and neighborhood. My friends, America begins in places like this, and her spirit is reborn in times such as these. This tragedy has awakened the American family, and by its spirit we will transform the world. In closing, I recently read an interesting piece entitled Comparisons and wanted to share it with you. You get up to hit the snooze button and the alarm goes off. They stay up for days on end. You take a warm shower to start your morning. They go days or weeks without running water. You complain of a headache and call in sick. They get shot at and keep moving forward. You put on your t-shirt and go meet your friends. They wear full battle gear in 120 degree weather. You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket, they clutch the cross on the chain with their dog tags. You walk the beach checking out the guys or girls, they walk the streets searching for bombs and terrorists. You complain because it's hot and order a nice drink. They can't even take off their helmets to wipe their brows. You complain to the waiter that your lunch order is wrong. They might not get teed lunch today. You've got clean clothes and fresh sheets. They wear the same thing for weeks, but their weapons are spotless. You go to them all to get your hair done. They don't get time to brush their teeth. You're angry because you had to stay late at work. They are told they have to stay an extra two months. You call your friends and make plans for tonight. They wait for the mail hoping to get a letter from home. You crawl into your soft bed and get comfortable. They crawl under a tank for some shade and a five-minute nap. You see only what the media wants you to see. They see death, destruction, and torture and still resolve to make the world a better place. If you are a veteran, thank you for your service to our great country. If you know someone who is, please take the time to thank them and please pray for our troops daily. May God bless and protect our patriots and may He continue to bless the United States of America, home of the free land of the brave. Thank you. Good evening. I'm proud to be with you this evening. It's particularly gratifying for me to see that so many young people here tonight. Thank you guys for coming out. Yes, we at Patriot Harley Davidson are seriously involved in Patriot's day. In fact, our Harley-Owners group is saddling up for a ride to the Pentagon just about now. Generally, we have 5,100 people and they'll get down to the new memorial that was dedicated this morning. Sunday we have a ride called Rattle the Runway. The ride is from Delus Airport to the Pentagon. There will be several thousand riders this Sunday. After a brief ceremony, we'll proceed down the runway around the airport, followed the Delus access road to the Pentagon and another ceremony. We sponsored these rides to preserve the memory of the events triggered on September 11, 2001. As you know, at 8.46am, our country was attacked for the first time since Pearl Harbor in the second time in the history of our nation. But this attack was different. This attack was against civilians and symbols. The victims of 9-11 were murdered simply because they're Americans. Whole families were decimated. Victims included mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and children. Some were young, some were old. One little boy killed at the Pentagon was three years old. He was just six months older than my boy. And now there was ten. He was embarking on a National Geographic Field trip. He was a gifted student. Some were black, some were white, some were Asian, some were summer Asian summer Latino summer Indian. They were all killed because they were Americans. Someone to work that day like any other day but never came home. Some flew off on new adventure that morning but never came home. They all had plans for morning, but never came home. They all had plans for a future, but never came home. At our first rental, the runway ride, we rode down the runway, pulled off the taxiway for a moment of silence and a prayer. There was a group of people there watching the procession, and I noticed a man with a young boy and a young girl with him, presumably his son and daughter. I was impressed that he brought them out there to witness our humble ceremony and I went over to them and I thanked them for coming and welcomed them. A little girl looked me and I and said, our grandma and grandpa were on that airplane. That's why I sponsor Patriotic Day events. That's why I will never forget. I was fortunate to be invited to attend the dedication ceremony depending on Memorial this morning. In addition to riding Harleys and generally disrupting traffic, we collected over $50,000 for the victim's families and the memorial itself. The ceremony was extremely well done. I hope you all have an opportunity to visit the memorial and take a young person with you. After looking at the faces of the 184 Americans murdered that morning and listening to the comments of our various dignitaries. I was struck with the thought that criminal behavior from some of the worst most cowardly people humanity has to offer. Brought out the selfless behavior of some of the best and bravest people on this planet. Actions founded in hatred meant to disrupt scare and divide us actually foster countless responses founded in hatred meant to disrupt, scare, and divide us actually foster countless responses founded in love and bravery that served to unite us. We are fortunate to be Americans. I'm proud to be an American and I will never forget the meaning of Patriot's Day. Furthermore, I pledge to you that I will ensure that my son Robbie and all my grandchildren appreciate of what it means. I hope you will join me and together we will ensure that future generations never forget the heinous crimes committed on September 11th, 2001. Thank you gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we are now going to come out and do the audience and like the candles that were given to you as you came in this evening. As soon as we get all the candles lit, bagpipe solos, Miss Janis Varner will play. the I'm going to go to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to the next station. I'm going to start the engine. and and I'm going to go to the next station. 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I ask that you use this time to remember the boys and girls, men and women who tonight are stationed around the world in harm's way, protecting their freedoms, and for those who lost their lives in September 11th, who have since been defensive their way of life. Ladies and gentlemen, as you please bow your head and prayer, and I'd like to read the same prayer that I have for each of the last seven years of this event. We have so much to be thankful for on this Patriot's Day 2008. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of life itself. We gather tonight to once again vow to never forget the men and women who innocently lost their life on September 11th, 2001. Let us never forget that day in the loss of the innocent life. Each year at this time we renew our commitment to never take for granted a quiet walk in the park, a friendly smile or a kind word to a stranger that we have just met. A simple hug of our children and the grateful handshake of the men and women who serve in our armed services and our public safety employees. Let us never forget, especially on this day, as we honor our veterans and armed service employees stationed around the world and the unselfish sacrifices that they have made on our behalf. Our thoughts and prayers are with each of them and their families. We are truly grateful nation and a grateful community. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen as we depart I invite each of you to follow me and my colleagues on the stage to ring the bell of freedom and to shake the hands of the members of our Fire and Police Department who are here with us tonight and to say thank you for all that they do on behalf of ourselves and a Patriot State 2008. They are truly the heroes of our community. God bless the City of Fairfax. God bless the United States of America. Thank you all for coming tonight. I'm going to go to the next station. I'm going to the next station. 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