(Courtesy photo/City of San Benito)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
With the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the minds of many Americans, locals said it was the ideal opportunity for the Rotary Club of San Benito to present a symbol of peace along one of San Benito’s busiest streets, near two of its most-used buildings.
On Friday, Sept. 11, dozens of attendees saw a rendering of the San Benito Peace Pole, which will one day be erected between San Benito City Hall and the San Benito Municipal Building.
The pole will bear the words, “May Peace Prevail on Earth.”
Toni Crane, president of the Rotary Club of San Benito, was one of half a dozen speakers at the morning event. The event featured an apparatus from the San Benito Fire Department, which displayed the U.S. flag along Sam Houston Blvd.
Crane delivered the same message to other faith-based speakers and first responders, including San Benito Public Information Officer Cristina Garcia, who emceed the solemn event.
“Thousands of innocent lives were lost, and families were changed as well. This peace pole is dedicated to their memory. It is a simple symbol, but its message is powerful. It’s a reminder that peace is something we must continue to strive for,” Crane said. “The placement of this peace pole between City Hall and the Municipal Building is also significant. This is a place where our community comes together to serve, gather, and work for the betterment of our city.”
It’s Crane’s hope that every person who passes this peace pole takes a moment to remember the courage displayed in those days back in 2001 and the follow-up strength Americans showed.
Police Chief Mario Perea wasn’t yet in law enforcement, but he did serve his country during the terror attacks, including a plane flying into The Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
“Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, our country changed forever. I remember exactly where I was that morning. I was serving in the United States Marine Corps, watching television as the planes struck the Twin Towers. Like so many Americans, I was in shock. There was confusion, and we realized our country was under attack,” Chief Perea said. “For just a moment, I ask everyone here to think back to that morning. Think about where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing when you first heard the news. Most importantly, think about how you felt – the fear, the uncertainty, and the need to know that your loved ones were safe.”
Father Joe M. Villalon, Jr., who heads St. Theresa Catholic Church in San Benito, served as a priest in Los Fresnos 25 years ago.
Event organizers asked Father Villalon to bless the ground where the peace pole will be located, but not before he spoke about his own experiences.
After it was reported that four domestic flights, all commercial, had been hijacked, his father called him and began searching for him.
“When he heard my voice, he was relieved I was fine,” Villalon said.
He then spoke about his duty.
“We have this beautiful testimony for the responders. But as Christians, we have to respond even better,” Villalon said.
He said he believes the Lord has always pulled people through despite tragedies, even today.
“We forsake HIM, and we forsake each other,” he said.
He added, “Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders who ran toward danger while others were running away.”
Mayor Pete Galvan thought about the distance between the city he leads and the location where the terrors occurred, including an empty field in Pennsylvania where one of the hijacked planes crashed as victims attempted to take back the commercial airliner.
In thanking first responders, San Benito Mayor Pedro “Pete” Galvan said the response and reaction after the tragedies speak volumes about the full potential of human beings.
San Benito Fire Chief Efrain Bautista remembers the events unfolding as the morning turned to mid-afternoon, by which time the Twin Towers had come down, changing the New York skyline forever.
“Our nation watched in disbelief as our nation was attacked. While most people were trying to get away from the danger, firefighters, police, paramedics, and other first responders answered the call,” Chief Bautista said. “Sept. 11 also showed us the strength of a nation when people stand together. For a time, Americans put aside their differences. We stood together, helped one another, and mourned together.”
Most attendees were old enough to remember where they were that day. There was a sprinkling of younger people, some with small children and others not yet born.
Chief Bautista quoted former President Ronald Reagan: “Peace does not exist of its own accord. It depends on us, on our courage to build, guard, and pass it on to future generations.”
Pastor Dillon Vanderford of First Presbyterian Church in San Benito said he would like this memorial to stand for generations to come.
“Let it be a reminder that we will never forget what we’ve lost. May we live in a way that honors the (victim’s) memories,” he said.