This is the letter (dated June 10th 2010), from the National September 11 Memorial, that was sent to all family members of the 9/11 victims. It contains special information about visiting.
Dear Family Member:
We are fewer than 100 days away from opening the National September 11 Memorial at the World Trade Center. You will soon receive information from the City of New York regarding the 10th anniversary commemoration ceremony and the dedication of the Memorial on September 11, 2011, when you will be able to see your loved one's name inscribed in bronze for the first time. However, I am writing today to share with you our plans for ensuring that all victims' family members who wish to visit the Memorial on or after September 12, 2011 will be provided a safe and meaningful experience.
As rebuilding of the entire 16-acre World Trade Center site continues over the next few years, there is a need to manage capacity on the plaza, and advance reservations are required for all visitors for safety purposes. We expect the Memorial will be visited by people from around the world who wish to pay their respects at this sacred ground. However, your experience--as families of those whose loved ones were taken too soon, is of the deepest importance to us.
Throughout and beyond this period of interim operations during which reservations are required, our highest priority is to accommodate family members of the victims of the September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 attacks. We have taken special measures, to facilitate family visitation after the 10th anniversary.
Beginning July 6, victims' families will be offered the first opportunity to secure advance reservations to visit the Memorial. Below is more information for how you can plan your visit. Again, these measures are for family visitation starting on September 12, 2011.
• Reservations by phone: Families who wish to make a reservation will always have a dedicated phone line to do so. We will send you this phone number in early July, and the line will be active starting Wednesday, July 6, 2011. Your reservation will be secured from a permanent allocation of passes set aside for victims' families, and will provide important information to further plan your visit.
• Reservations online: Families can also opt to use our online reservation system, which will be available to the general public at www.911memorial.org beginning July 11, 2011.
• Special entry area: There will be a separate reception area/entry point for families of those lost in the September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 attacks. If you have not yet had an opportunity to visit http://names.911memorial.org, I encourage you to view this special site where you can see your loved one's name and its permanent location on the Memorial in advance of your visit. On behalf of everyone working on the 9/11 Memorial, our hearts and thoughts go out to you as we approach the 10th anniversary. We will never forget.
Warm regards,
Joe Daniels
President
Ten years went by in the blink of an eye
ReplyDeleteand still as a nation today we cry.
So many were lost, all still in their prime
A nation in mourning trying to understand such a crime
...
We rose from the ashes, rebuilt and moved on, but still in our hearts
the memory lives on, of our brothers, or friends, and those never met
We miss you We honor you and we shall never forget. ~ ShaDrouet