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Mayor’s Message
September 11 – Orlando
Remembers
 Today
is a day that our nation -- every city, every state, every community,
and every citizen -- pauses to pay tribute to those brave Americans,
civilians and first responders, who lost their lives on September 11,
2001.
Since then we have learned a lot about the incredible courage and
patriotism demonstrated by those we lost in New York City, Washington,
D.C. and Pennsylvania. This catastrophic tragedy affected every
community in our nation. And each of those communities is represented in
our Flag, which we have just saluted and which flies over us at
half-staff as a solemn tribute.
We are honored to have Elsie Cintron-Rosado and her family and Adriana
and Fernando Corrales with us today. Elsie’s daughter, Maria Isabel
Ramirez, was a dedicated young professional, who lost her life in the 90
West Street Building south of the World Trade Center, on that ill-fated
day.
 Adriana
and Fernando’s brother-in-law, Joseph Patrick Henry, affectionately
known as “Joey”, was a brave, rookie firefighter on Ladder 21, who went
into the tower with his lieutenant to save lives. Regrettably, Joseph
never made it out of the building. He, and hundreds of other first
responders gave their lives in the line of duty. We can never repay them
for their sacrifice and their service to our country!
Maria, Joey, and others like them, are also forever represented in our
stars and stripes. Maria’s compassion and sincere concern for others
prompted hundreds of friends and supporters to post messages about the
positive, lasting impact she had on their lives on the Legacy website,
which offers an on-going memorial to those we lost on September 11.
“Orlando Remembers” is dedicated to Joey and Maria and to the thousands
of other citizens who made the ultimate sacrifice. To honor them we have
vowed to do everything possible to stop terrorism. As Americans, we are
united against those that threaten our freedoms and our liberty.
 We
call her Old Glory, and her “Glory” is renewed by incredible Americans
like Joey and Maria!
Today, and everyday, for as long our Flag flies, we will remember those
we lost two years ago on September 11th. Today, we pledge that they will
never, ever, be forgotten.
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