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BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (September 11, 2008) - Soldiers and
civilians from several nations affected by the war on terror
gathered beneath the towering flagpoles at the Combined Joint Task
Force 101 headquarters here today to remember Sept. 11, 2001.
"Today is a day of remembrance, but it's also a day, especially
for us here, of recommitment," said Army Gen. David D. McKiernan,
commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in
Afghanistan.
In the entryway of the task force headquarters hangs a picture
of two smouldering towers, one engulfed by a fireball, the other
billowing clouds of black smoke. This picture reminds all who come
inside that they are here to keep that day from ever happening
again.
"Since this day seven years ago, the world has transformed,"
McKiernan said. "And because of the brave men and women willing to
fight this tough battle, we know that the ideals of human dignity
will prevail against evil."
Army Chaplain (Maj.) Karen Meeker, deputy chaplain for Combined
Joint Task Force 101, offered a prayer for those in attendance and
those who were there on that day.
"Bless the souls of the thousands of citizens from over 90
countries and the hundreds of emergency responders who were killed
seven years ago today," Meeker said.
Crumbling New York towers, billowing smoke from the Pentagon and
a gaping hole in a Shanksville, Pa., field will forever scar
memories, she said, but she called on all nations that recognize
that freedom is the right of every human being to solidify into an
unstoppable force and to not let this fight be passed to the next
generation.
"We remember the legacy of our fallen heroes in the war on
terror -- warriors who answered the call of duty that made the
ultimate sacrifice," McKiernan said. "We recognize that we are
still in a fight to secure a future free from oppression, and we
know we must succeed in this mission."
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