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On 11 September 2006, members of the Ceremonial Unit of the Surgeon General’s Honor
Cadre, (pictured left to right ) CDR Robin Scheper, LT Tomas Bonome, LCDR Samuel
Wu, and LT Rebecca Bunnell, participated in ceremonies marking the fifth anniversary
of the attack on the Work Trade Center.
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PHS Honor Corps Represented on 9/11 Ceremony at Ground Zero |
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On Monday, 11 September 2006, members of the Ceremonial Unit of the Surgeon General’s
Honor Cadre (Public Health Service (PHS) Honor Corps) were included as part of the
New York City (NYC) Honor Guard, participating in the fifth anniversary of what
has been the worst terrorist attack in United States history.
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The PHS Honor Corps, that included CDR Robin Scheper, U.S. Coast Guard; LCDR Samuel
Wu, Food and Drug Administration; LT Rebecca Bunnell, Health Resources and Services
Administration, and LT Tomas Bonome, National Institutes of Health, were among several
groups, including other uniformed service members, that made up the nearly 400 people
who participated in the event at Ground Zero. Each PHS Honor Corps member was in
one of four NYC Honor Guard teams that rotated throughout the day. Each member of
the NYC Honor Guard (approximately 100 per group) stood in the area outlining where
the twin towers once stood. There was always an NYC Honor Guard team present as
the family members and significant others of the victims from the World Trade Center
would lay flowers and mementos in and around one of the two small reflecting pools
that represented each fallen tower.
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The official ceremony began at 8:40 a.m. with the playing of the National Anthem.
The first of four moments of silence began at 8:46 a.m. (the time the first airplane
crashed into the North Tower 5 years earlier). The other three moments of silence
marked the impact of the second plane (9:03 a.m.) and the collapse of each tower
(9:59 a.m. and 10:29 a.m.). During the ceremony, spouses and significant others
read the names of the 2,749 people killed that day at the World Trade Center. During
last year’s ceremony, it was the siblings of the victims who read all the names.
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This was the fourth time the PHS Honor Corps had the privilege and honor of serving
in the NYC September 11th Honor Guard. They also participated in the ceremonies
marking the 1-year, 3-year, and 4-year anniversaries of the event.
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The site itself was not much different from last year. However, with several construction
trailers and subterranean work under way, it seemed as if this year may be the last
for a remembrance ceremony to actually take place in the pit of Ground Zero. This
is something that some of people of New York City are ready to accept. As reported
by the New York Times, “the process (reconstruction of the site) has been a long
time coming, the fact that so many interests are involved. There have been developers,
architects, politicians, insurers, community residents, relatives of September 11
victims, and multiple competing government entities. Where some saw lucrative real
estate, others saw a graveyard.” To date, the medical examiner’s office has not
been able to identify 1,151 of the 2,749 people who died in the attack. However,
there are still more bones and bone fragments being uncovered as recently as October
2006.
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Similar to last year, the mood, albeit somber, was not as overwhelmingly heavy as
it had been at the first ceremony in 2002. Although it may appear that having the
ceremony every year may be similar to having an annual funeral and re-opening old
wounds, to many mourners and participants, these ceremonies do provide closure and
opportunities to attend for the first time. Serving in this event for the first
time as part of the PHS Honor Corps, LCDR Wu, LT Bunnell, and LT Bonome reflected
on the event: “I am honored to have this opportunity representing both the Department
and the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service on this special day,”
said LCDR Wu. “It certainly will be a memorable experience for me, given that this
may be the last time that the service will be held in such scale and at the exact
site where the two towers once stood. The most touching moment for me was when the
family members of those who perished 5 years ago came up and thanked me for my service.
I was humbled by such gestures and gratified that I have helped in alleviating their
grief and pain.”
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LT Bunnell, a physician assistant stationed in New York City at the time, said,
“Having worked in Queens with the Division of Immigration Health Services while
living in New Jersey during the September 11 disaster, I have not felt ready to
return to the site until today (11 September 2006). Although I was not in the local
group of officers of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps)
who worked at the World Trade Center site during the disaster, I covered many long
hours at our detention center so that other Corps officers could assist in the event.
While I felt a level of guilt, I was fortunate to be allowed to leave for my wedding
on 15 September 2001. It was hard to even get out of the city the weekend after
9/11 as all of the tunnels and bridges to New Jersey kept closing due to various
threats. Immediately after my wedding, I returned to my daily commute through Manhattan.
I remember watching for months as the wreckage was being transported north through
the city. I remember the sounds of silence; you always hear car horns in Manhattan,
but for a period of time there were none.” She concluded, “This year I humbly participated
as a member of the Surgeon General’s Honor Cadre and a mourner of all those lost.
I continue to be amazed by the strength of people during and after a crisis. It
is a testament to why I wear the uniform.”
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As a resident of Hoboken, New Jersey, and a student attending graduate school in
New York City at the time of the attacks, attending the 5-year anniversary was of
special significance to LT Bonome. “I remember standing at the end of Pier 1 in
Hoboken, which commands an unobstructed view of downtown Manhattan, after the towers
were hit that day,” he recalls, “when the towers fell, people began to cry as some
of us embraced, held hands, and prayed. Barring a miracle, all of us had just lost
someone. Five years on, standing at ground zero I saw the same scene repeated, yet
it was different. Beyond the grieving, I witnessed two families making arrangements
to go on a picnic. I saw smiles and even heard laughing. It was reassuring to see
real signs of recovery.” Reflecting on his experience at ground zero, LT Bonome
concluded, “As Mayor Bloomberg alluded to in his speech, while we must remember
the deceased, we owe it to the memory of those who died to move on and live our
life to the very fullest. I would extend this to say that all Americans, not just
the survivor’s families, should strive for this goal. Towards this end, representing
the Honor Guard and the Corps in memory of the men and women who died, and standing
in silent, steadfast support of the Nation and the loved ones they left behind was
a great honor.”
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About the Surgeon General’s Honor Cadre
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The Surgeon General’s Honor Cadre is currently under the direction of CDR Robin
Scheper. The Deputy Commanding Officer of the Honor Cadre is LCDR Tobey Manns. The
Honor Cadre participates in opening several events, including award and promotion
ceremonies. The Surgeon General’s group is based out of Rockville, MD, with other
PHS Honor Corps groups that are located in other areas of the country. If you are
interested in obtaining more information about the Honor Cadre, please contact CDR
Robin Scheper at Robin.A.Scheper@uscg.mil
or LCDR Tobey Manns at Tobey.Manns@SAMHSA.hhs.gov.
The Honor Cadre would like to thank the Office of the Surgeon General for their
continued support in our participation in this memorable event.
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