September 11, 2009
MEDIA, PA – Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) recognized those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, paying tribute to our military members and first responders who served our nation that day and in the fight against terrorism. The Congressman joined victims’ relatives and other community members in Lower Makefield, Bucks County at the Garden of Reflection, the Official Pennsylvania Memorial to the Victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Of the 29 Pennsylvanians who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, 18 of them called Bucks County home. A group of family members who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001, formed a committee in 2002 to fundraise and build a memorial in honor of those they lost in the terrorist attacks. The committee grew to include many community members who boosted the fundraising efforts.
A former 3-star Navy Admiral, Congressman Sestak was assigned to the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 and was there on the morning of the attacks, from shortly after the Pentagon was hit until the early hours of September 12, 2001, witnessing the heroism of the first responders on the scene. Shortly thereafter, he was named Director of Deep Blue, the Navy’s anti-terrorism unit established in the aftermath of the attacks.
“On this, the eighth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, we remember those who lost and gave their lives that day,” said Congressman Sestak. “We recognize the Ground Zero rescue workers who succumbed to disease months or years later and who still suffer today. We honor our troops and our allies who have been killed or wounded in the defense of freedom. And we reaffirm our stand with those who have suffered at the hands of terror and hatred in London, Madrid, Mumbai, and too many places around the globe.
“Never in our common history has the world been so united as on that terrible day in September. Rarely has the contrast been so stark not only between good and evil, but between forces of the past and the future. That day, the entire world looked to the United States for leadership in a new era. And now, eight years later, and for many years into the future, we must affirm that it is our leadership and our uncompromising commitment to our ideals -- not force alone -- that will allow freedom to triumph over fear. That is what we owe those who lost their lives on 9/11, and those who have given their lives in defense of human dignity.”
Earlier this week, to commemorate the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Congressman Sestak voted for Resolutions expressing the sense of the House of Representative regarding the terrorist attacks and recognizing September 11 as a "National Day of Service and Remembrance," H. Res. 722 and H. Res 718, respectively. In conjunction with passage of these Resolutions, Congress held a bicameral Congressional Remembrance Ceremony, allowing members of both chambers to pay their respects to the Americans who lost their lives in the attacks and the men and women who risked and, in many cases, sacrificed their own lives trying to save others.
Born and raised in Delaware County, former 3-star Admiral Joe Sestak served in the Navy for 31 years and now serves as the Representative from the 7th District of Pennsylvania. He led a series of operational commands at sea, including Commander of an aircraft carrier battle group of 30 U.S. and allied ships with over 15,000 sailors and 100 aircraft that conducted operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After 9/11, the Congressman was the first Director of Deep Blue, the Navy’s anti-terrorism unit that established strategic and operations policies for the Global War on Terrorism. He served as President Clintons Director for Defense Policy at the National Security Council in the White House, and holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. According to the office of the House Historian, Congressman Sestak is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
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