9/11

For the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, our shop decided to conduct a flag raising ceremony in front of the embassy. Each of us purchased a few American flags from the post exchange store which we planned to raise and lower and then give out as gifts back home. We quickly tallied over fifty flags. We organized ourselves under the guidance of a Marine Corps captain, who had served at a few other US embassies. We walked out to the front of the embassy and stacked the flags, in their cardboard boxes, one one side of the main flag pole.

I was asked to say a few words to begin the ceremony. Not having had time to prepare, I improvised and said we were all here today to honor those who perished in the attacks and ensure that their sacrifice would be remembered. I mentioned the three locations, New York, Washington, DC and Somerset County, PA. I identified the brave choice the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 made, who chose to fight the hijackers. Because of their sacrifice, the target of that plane, US Capitol or the White House, still stands today. I then gave he command to the Marine captain to begin. It was 1545 Baghdad time, seven years to the day and time from when the American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

A flag detail consisting of an officer from each service and led by the Marine captain, ceremonially lowered the embassy’s flag. A separate group from our shop folded it and handed it to an Army major who stood holding it. A separate group, to which I belonged, took the flags out of their cardboard boxes and handed them to the flag detail who raised and lowered each flag.


Except for the commands, issued by the Marine captain, “Raise the colors!” and “Retrieve the colors!” the entire ceremony was performed in complete silence, something we had not rehearsed but, given the solemnity of the event, became at once appropriate. Those not involved in flag handling or folding ritually came to attention and saluted as each flag was raised and lowered.

The emotion everyone felt was unexpected. Military personnel coming and going paused, came to attention, and saluted. Department of State personnel paused, put their hands on their hearts. A British brigadier general, who had been dropped off by his detail at the front of the embassy, stood and saluted over the course of four flags raised and lowered. Others, who had wanted to raise their own flags, sheepishly came up to us and asked if we would raise their flags too. Our original fifty flags swelled to over eighty. The ceremony lasted well over an hour and a half. After the last flag had been lowered, I gave he command to raise the embassy's flag and then lower it to half mast.

In an unexpected way, it was a defining moment of my tour here.