U.S. Flag from WTC destruction is unfurled in honor of war wounded

On a recent Sunday,  The National 9/11 Flag served as the backdrop for the Waterfront Warriors event in Long Beach, NY. The event honored wounded military service members who had come up from Walter Reed Medical Center to enjoy a week of "R&R"with host families at this beach community on the south shore of Long Island. Hundreds of local residents turned out to honor these young men and women, many of whom had lost limbs and suffered severe shrapnel wounds while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the rain came down, scores of Long Beach residents helped to bring The National 9/11 Flag indoors for a reverent and emotional folding ceremony – aided by the wounded warriors. While the flag was being folded, the crowd chanted “U.S.A.!  U.S.A.!”

It was one of the most humbling moments on this amazing journey of restoration and healing of The National 9/11 Flag. The flag will be added to the 9/11 Memorial Museum's permanent collection after completing a national tour of stitching ceremonies to restore the flag back to its original glory. It was recovered from ground zero after the World Trade Center skyscrapers collapsed.

By Jeff Parness, Guest Writer for The MEMO

Parness is the founder of New York Says Thank You