On the 9/11 anniversary, New York’s streets see global pain

Felicia Froton, 17, was just 7 years old when the towers fell. She didn’t understand what it meant then, but now, she says, she does. She came to New York from Seattle. “Now I feel like I have some sort of connection with the city,” she said.

Yesterday, people from across the country — and the world — completed a pilgrimage to New York City to witness the power of the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11.

“I needed to be here to support the families of the victims,” said Angela Forrey, 30, who flew to New York from Cleveland, Ohio, specifically for the memorial service, which she watched from the street. She got to Lower Manhattan early in the morning to secure a spot in the front of the space roped off for public viewing. “It sounds cliche, but I’ll never forget. I wish I could have been here to help.”

Forrey is not alone. Students Denislav Eftimo, 26, and Weichiao Lin, 22, flew from Bulgaria to be in Manhattan for the 10th anniversary.

“When I heard the names,” Eftimo said of his experience. “It felt like I lost someone in my family.”
Jill Gwen and Stanley Bernard, the founding minister and the president of Go Soular, a non-profit religious aid organization, flew in from California.

They wept uncontrollably during the reading of the victims’ names — yet knew no one who perished.
“My heart bleeds for people still in pain,” said Gwen. “We wanted to be a part of history.”

Antonio Ricman was in town from Switzerland.

“I’m really touched by what’s happening today; to see how the families are grieving,” he said. “I understand it’s a very big day for America.”