As the nation prepares to observe the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a Kissimmee native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Somerset, named for Somerset County, Pa., in honor of the 40 passengers and crew who died during the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Seaman Apprentice Emmanuel Ortiz was two years old.
“I don’t remember it well other than how my mom reacted with sadness,” Ortiz, 23, said. “But it’s important to remember 9/11 for the people who lost their lives as victims and lost their lives as first responders. They deserve to be honored and remembered.”
Over the weeks following the Flight 93 crash, recovery personnel retrieved more than 95 percent of the airplane’s wreckage from the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. USS Somerset’s bow and keel are forged from steel salvaged from the crash. Every deck of the ship contains mementos of Flight 93, including a dedicated passageway leading to the memorial room, which bears the names of the passengers.
According to Department of Defense (DoD) officials, “We honor the lives of those lost and the courage and bravery of the first responders who tirelessly worked to save lives. They have become part of the DoD extended family.”
According to U.S. officials, the flight’s passengers and crew prevented terrorist hijackers from reaching their presumed destination in Washington, D.C.; instead crashing near Shanksville in Somerset County. Those aboard Flight 93 embodied the strength and determination of the people of the United States: to recover, rally, and take the fight to the enemy, honoring the memory of those who were impacted by the attacks.
“It’s an incredible honor to carry on the legacy of service of the 40 heroes of United Flight 93,” Capt. Dave Kurtz, Commanding Officer, USS Somerset. “As sailors, we play the away game so that Americans don’t have to react the way those passengers and crew members did 20 years ago. Their actions remain our inspiration.”
Ortiz joined the Navy less than a year ago.
“I joined the Navy for a steady job opportunity and to serve my country at the same time,” said Ortiz.
Serving in the Navy means Ortiz is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“I think being a forward deployed force makes the Navy America’s first line of defense against foreign threats,” said Ortiz.
Ortiz and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“Graduating boot camp and becoming a sailor is one of my proudest moments, not just in the Navy, but in my life,” said Ortiz.
As Ortiz and other sailors continue to train, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Being part of the Navy gives me a chance to prove myself and make a difference towards something bigger than myself,” added Ortiz.
For more information about the Navy’s commemoration of 9/11, please visit www.history.navy.mil.
