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Fellow pilots, this is your MEC
chairman, Marcin Kolodziejczyk, with
an update for Sept. 9, 2011. While
it was a busy week for your union
volunteers, I don’t want to spend
time this week talking about their
continued efforts on your behalf.
Instead, I want to take a moment to
reflect upon the tragic events that
took place nearly 10 years ago and
remind each of you to remain
vigilant. |
On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists launched a
series of coordinated attacks on our nation.
They hijacked four airplanes, crashing two
into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers,
one into the Pentagon, and one into a field
near Shanksville, Penn. Nearly 3,000 people
died in the attacks, and the world as we
knew it would remain forever changed.
Like many of you, I know exactly where I was
and what I was doing on that day.
I was woken up by a phone call from a buddy
of mine who was on active Air Force duty; he
told me to turn on the television because
planes had just crashed into the World Trade
Center. I didn't believe him, hung up, and
tried to go back to sleep. He called back,
so I got up and turned on the television.
Then I froze, watching as the news replayed
the events over and over again and listening
to the reporters trying to make sense of
what was happening. Disbelief, shock, and
anger at those who would dare try to
compromise our freedoms flooded through me.
I later went into work at the car dealership
where I was a salesman and spent the entire
day with my coworkers glued to the
television. Two years later, I decided to
join the airline industry.
As the 10th
anniversary of 9/11 approaches, we cannot be
paralyzed by fear of others trying to mimic
the terrible events of that day. Our nation
and our industry receive threats on a near
daily basis, yet our airspace is safer now
than ever before. This is due, in large
part, to the tireless efforts of our union
and its volunteers. ALPA is a leader in
aviation safety and security, and has
dedicated the past 80 years to improving our
profession and our industry for all those
who use it. You are the first line of
defense. Please remain vigilant and stay at
a heightened sense of awareness, especially
this weekend.
By now,
you should have received a commemorative
9/11 ALPA pin in the mail. Join me in
wearing this pin to honor the fallen crew
members and passengers aboard
American Airlines
Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175,
American Airlines Flight 77, and United
Airlines Flight 93, as well as those who
lost their lives as a result of the attacks.
Never forget.
[Editor's note: A podcast
of this message is also available at
http://ipad.io/h82;
after you click on the link, you will have
numerous options in which to follow this
channel and be notified when a new message
is uploaded.]
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