by Lionel Bascom — August 12th, 2006 — No comments
As the fifth anniversary of the World Trade disaster rapidly approaches, perhaps the most fitting tribute to the victims is the continuing effort at “the job site” to rebuild. The few workers who now come to the site daily to move the remnants of debris, blast holes to sink the new footings to support the new buildings rising on the site, have kept a daily vigil to remember those who died here. Slowly, the Freedom Tower is rising.
This year, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the moving roll call to mark the passing of each person who died will be led by the significant others, the spouses and partners of the victims.
In past years, brothers and sisters of the dead read the 2,479 names. In earlier tributes, the parents and grandparents of the victims read the names. The children read the names in 2003. On the first anniversary, relatives, politicians and well known celebrities and dignitaries read the names. This year, the ceremony will be marked by silence, pierced by the ringing of church bells and four pauses that will begin at 8:46 a.m on Sept. 11. At sundown, two beams of light will shine up in the sky to symbolize the twin towers as a “Tribute of Light “ memorial.