Story and photos by Jesse Pena
Dark clouds loomed over head Wednesday morning for the ceremony JROTC prepared for the Day of Remembrance. Roosevelt’s students, administration, JROTC, teachers and even Windcrest police officers took their seats for the ceremony that was about to take place.
Senior Peter Arrellano started his speech with the JROTC standing at attention. As he spoke, the audience bowed their heads in reverence and respect for the people that lost their lives and that were affected by the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
Principal Melvin Echard attended the ceremony. Echard said that it was a nice ceremony to remember our Americans who passed in the tragic terrorist attacks and that the JROTC did an excellent job.
Senior Lt. Col. Evan Pape helped organize the ceremony.
“The ceremony went well; everything was executed with precision,” Pape said. “The most difficult for preparation of the ceremony was ensuring everyone would be there on time.”
People attended the ceremony for different reasons. It is an emotional time for curriculum AP Lori Murach, who lost a cousin who was working at the World Trade Center.
“It’s always sad when this day comes around. My husband is from New York, so we have family members over there,” Murach said, “On the day of 9/11, I was on the sixth floor of our NEISD office on Tesoro Drive which over looks the airport. It was eerie seeing the all the planes grounded. It looked like parking lot.”
Murach said the people in the building were just staring out the window looking, and praying that the planes landing, were actually landing and not doing anything else.
JROTC organized their ceremony around this day is a day of remembrance for all those who lost their lives in this terrorist attack.
