For the eighth time, St. Croix residents took to the Christiansted boardwalk Friday to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, with songs, poems and prayers for peace. Val Stiles, Alda Anduze and Betty Vidal of the St. Croix charitable group Adopt-A-Soldier put together the sunset program.
"We want people to keep thinking about the guys overseas," Stiles said before the ceremonies began. "And we want to remember all the victims of terrorism, on that day and in the days since. … We don’t want this to ever happen again and we don’t want to forget the victims, their families, the firefighters, the police and the children who were in the nursery in the towers that day."
After eight years of war, they may not be as prominent on television and in water-cooler conversations, but nearly as many young men and women from all the states and territories are still fighting and risking their lives overseas, Stiles reminds us.
"My son is over there and he tells me, ‘I think sometimes everyone has forgotten us," she said.
For the better part of an hour, as the sun set and sky grew dark, speakers came to the microphone to offer prayers for peace, groups sang harmony, individuals played original songs, and others paid homage to the occasion in their own fashion.
Radio host Roger Morgan, who has regularly participated in this annual sunset vigil, spoke of a poem the late Peter Des Jardins read at last year’s ceremony. Morgan said he would push to have the Christiansted boardwalk named after him, noting that the musician, who was shot and killed during a robbery last month, regularly played music at restaurants on the boardwalk for many years.
St. Croix Central High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps’ unarmed drill team performed stepping and hand moves, followed by the armed drill team with a rifle-spinning routine.
Imam Mohamed Anis of the Islamic Society of St. Croix, spoke about the need to distinguish between the criminal acts of bad individuals and the values espoused by those individual’s religion.
"The assault on innocent civilians stood in direct conflict with Islam’s most elementary principles, teachings and spirit," he said. "The Quran says ‘if someone kills another person it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to all mankind….
"We ask Allah give his mercy to all innocent victims of terrorism, and I ask Allah shower all of us with his mercy and give us his protection, progress, peace and happiness."
Later, Yigal Ehrlich, a member of the Jewish synagogue on St. Croix, took to the microphone and gave a prayer for peach. Ehrlich said the passage of the Quran echoed a Jewish tradition, that "whoever murders someone murders all mankind and whoever saves a life, saves all mankind." Afterwards, Ehrlich and Anis shook hands and chatted with one another.
When the speaking and singing was done, people gathered on the boardwalk, lit candles and threw handfuls of flower petals into the harbor, finally tossing a wreath onto the still waters to drift slowly out to sea.
Adopt-a-Soldier puts together care packages with daily essentials, toiletries and various difficult to get items, Brow soda and other hometown treats, letters and drawings from schoolchildren and more. These are packed and sent to individual soldiers in the field who hail from these islands.
To help out soldiers overseas, residents can donate items by dropping them off at Betty’s Unisex, 45-J La Grande Princesse. Vidal’s number there is 718-4689. You can also email Alda Anduze for information at alda_anduze@yahoo.com and she will email you a list of what they need at the moment.
Vidal’s list of suggested donations included: baby wipes; zip-lock bags of all sizes; small cans of salmon; crossword puzzles; canned sardines; Wheat Thins; Export Crackers (packed in foil); Pop Tarts and prepackaged snacks; microwave popcorn; Pringles; small boxes of cereal; Cup O Soup; Vienna Sausages and any other tasty snack food or drink that doesn’t spoil; West Indian hot sauce, Brow soda, lip balm and Listerine strips.
Vidal asked that everyone please keep in mind that the troops share with each other and with families in Iraq. The children especially like American candy and pens. Since packages are searched randomly, everything has to be in original packages. Miniatures and small portions pack best. Spray cans and liquids do not do well.
They can use cash as well. Most of the cash people donate goes to pay postage, but some helps to purchase items that are in short supply among the donated goods.
