Day of Remembrance and Hope
September 11, 2008

Hampton Roads citizens gathered at Gosnold's Hope Park in Hampton for the city's Day of Remembrance and Hope - a special time of reflection on what occurred on September 11, 2001, and America's continuing resolve to assure a better future.

The Hampton Military Affairs Committee, working with the city, oversaw the details of this event.

This was a time to honor the Armed Services and Public Safety personnel who protect the nation every day. Ceremonies included a presentation of the colors, a Proclamation by the City of Hampton, the unveiling of a patriotic quilt as well as drawings by local students honoring our country, and special music.

The event was also a time to reflect on those local service members who have died in combat in the War on Terror and to acknowledge the families who were present, thanking them for their sacrifice.

As in past years, a public reading of the names of those who were lost on September 11, 2001 and in the subsequent War on Terror took place beside the Trees of Hope, a strand of eleven evergreen trees planted in co-mingled soils from the sites of the three attacks that occurred on that day (the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Somerset County, Pennsylvania).

This 2008 observance continued a seven-year tradition. The first observance was on December 11, 2001, only months after the September 11 attacks.

* Click on an Image to Enlarge