Car Seats: Are you Using the Right One?
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Never Forget:
Navy Lodge:
NAS Sigonella Remembers 9/11
Hospitality Week
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N A S SIG O N E L L A
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September 16, 2016
Vol. 33 No. 35
Naval Air Station Sigonella Vows to “Never Forget” By Nicole Ybarra NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
NAS SIGONELLA, Sicily – “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” It took just 56 minutes for the South Tower to collapse after terrorists hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 and deliberately crashed it into the World Trade Center. The days, weeks and months that followed the 9/11 attacks comprise some of the darkest moments in American history. But from the piles of steel and destruction emerged acts of heroism and sacrifice which continue to inspire 15 years later. On Sept. 9, NAS Sigonella paid tribute to the first responders of the 9/11 attacks and honored the sacrifice of the service members killed in the ensuing Iraq and Afghanistan wars. During his remarks, Assistant Fire Chief Robert Bethea posed the question: What does freedom really cost? “Every day we are exposed to attacks on our freedom. People around the globe are oppressed, marginalized or disenfranchised and denied their basic human rights. Corrupt politics, totalitarian regimes, and terrorist groups based on fanatical beliefs still Air Force Master Sgt. Jeramie Proctor, master of ceremonies for the 9/11 remembrance at Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, introduces the guest speaker, Assistant Fire Chief exist,” said Bethea. After 9/11, the slogan “Never ForRobert Bethea (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ramon get” became the national watchword Go/Released)
and a solemn oath of the fire service to the 343 firefighters who rushed into the Twin Towers without regard for their personal safety and never returned. “Never forget the sacrifices of those who have paid the highest price for freedom. Never forget the 2,996 ordinary citizens who went to work on Sept. 11 and never went home. Never forget the sacrifices of our United States military and those who fought, and continue to fight, alongside the United States,” said Bethea. In closing, Bethea cautioned against the world evolving into a “community of dreadful fear and hate.” “It is true our world completely changed 15 years ago, but freedom will prevail. Doom does not land on every doorstep. Daily, I see the hope of the present and the future – they ride in strollers, on school buses, in child seats and even on their dad’s shoulders.” Naval Air Station Sigonella, "The Hub of the Med," is a U.S. Navy installation and an Italian Air Force base in Sicily, Italy. NAS Sigonella is the Navy's second largest security command, second only to that located at Naval Support Activity Bahrain. Because of its location near the center of the Mediterranean Sea, NASSIG is well placed to support operations by the U.S. 6th Fleet, other U.S. military units, and U.S. allies and coalition partners.
We Remember: NAS Sigonella and Nissoria Commemorate 15th Anniversary of 9/11 By Alberto Lunetta NASSIG COMREL Director
NISSORIA, Sicily – Sicilians and Americans from NAS Sigonella came together Sept. 11 to take part in the 15th annual remembrance ceremony in the small town of Nissoria, in the Enna province, to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Nissoria is the only Sicilian community to host such an event which it has done since 2002. “At the end of 2001, after learning that two Nissoria citizens, Vinzenzo Di Fazio and Salvatore Lopez lost their lives as they were working inside the towers on that tragic day, my predecessor decided to create a plaque in memory of them and to pay tribute to the thousands of men and women who died on that day,” said Nissoria Mayor Armando Glorioso. This year, for the first time, the event featured a 5K “Run to Remember” that took place throughout the small picturesque roads of the town. Participants in the run included a group of Marines and runners from the towns of Nissoria, Leonforte and Assoro towns. At the end of the run a wreath
was placed at the memorial site in a ceremony which was attended by local police and civilian authorities and delegations from the Catania Rotary Club: Duomo 150. Also in attendance were representatives from the Knights of Pythias as well as the honorary consuls of Turkey, Greece and Azerbaijan. The US Navy delegation also had a chance to visit the local rural life museum and to learn about objects that tell the life of last century’s local farmers. “Since 9/11, the terror threat has unfortunately worsened globally and therefore we need to stand united in our fight,” added Glorioso. “On that day the world changed. Global terrorism became a real and credible threat, a fear that we continue to worry about today. I’m confident that, as the US and Italy maintain our relationship of trust and close partnership, we can continue to combat against those who wish to do us harm,” said NAS Sigonella Commanding Officer, Capt. Brent Trickel who attended the memorial event along with a Capt. Mark Boone, right, presents a third place trophy to Marine Sgt. Sierra Tilson during a delegation from US Naval Hos- 5k "Run to Remember" awards ceremony, Sept. 11. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michelle Sabangan/Released) pital Sigonella.