Posted on 09/09/2002 10:13:21 PM PDT by MadIvan
A TORN and dust-stained union jack rescued from the rubble of Ground Zero will be handed over to Britain tomorrow in appreciation of the nation’s support for the American people. Frank Dwyer, a New York police officers on duty when the World Trade Centre was destroyed by terrorists, will hand over the flag to David Blunkett, the Home Secretary.
He said that it was symbolic of the resilience of the US and Britain in the face of adversity and the friendship between the nations. “The flag is damaged but it endured. That’s what makes it such a rich symbol,” he said.
The original owner is not known. Rescue workers handed it to the authorities to “return it home”.
Lieutenant Dwyer hopes that the flag will go on public display as a memorial to the people who died in the September 11 attack, which include 67 Britons. The Home Secretary will make a decision after asking the families of the British victims.
The handover will take place tomorrow morning during a service in Grosvenor Square, London, outside the US embassy, which became the focal point in Britain last year for people to mark the tragedy with flowersand tears. A minute’s silence at 1.46pm, when the first jet airliner struck the Twin Towers, will be observed around the country. Events to mark the anniversary, including a St Paul’s Cathedral service, will be broadcast on BBC One from 12.45pm.
Regards, Ivan
NaW.
(As true for G.B. as U.S...)
Not your fault.
Regards, Ivan
I still think we are going to have some difficult times ahead. It is good to have friends with us as we move forward.
I agree. But in the end we are going to be better for having engaged in this struggle. We just need to clench our collective jaw, hold our heads high and wade into battle with these people. We will endure and we will triumph.
I can't speak for my entire country, but I hope that we will be in our rightful place - with you to the end. At the very least, that's where I intend to be anyway.
Regards, Ivan
9/11 was directed primarily at America--but it really hit the entire civilized world. To update Benjamin Franklin, if we do not hang together against this new barbarism, we shall most assuredly hang separately.
Glad to see that the flag is being returned to its homeland with an appropriate degree of solemnity.
About 300, wasn't it?
I don't think the final number was ever confirmed. But it was enough for it to be an act of war on us as well.
Regards, Ivan
I thought I heard on one of the endless TV discussions during the week after 9/11 that not only was this the worst act of terrorism against the US in terms of innocent lives lost, it was also the worst act of terrorism against Great Britain. I don't know if what that TV talking head said was correct or not but he said that Great Britain lost more citizens at the WTC than in any other act of terrorism.
Sobering. If the 300 number is right, then about 10% of the casualties were British citizens.
Indeed it was. And I do think that the terrorists did realise they would kill people from other Western nations along with Americans. So it was an act of war against us both.
Regards, Ivan
My source for that number was British Freeper tonycavanaugh, shortly after 9/11/01. It had to have been preliminary, and probably high. Remember that the total number of deaths started at 7,000 and graduallly came down to 3,000.
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