In Memory

Angel Copyright by Danny Hahlbohm

In Memory
We will always remember those who lost their lives
and those who so gallantly risked their lives to save others.
May peace and healing come to the families and friends of those lost,
and to the many rescue workers and others who were touched by this tragedy. – Linda



"America, America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!"
Katherine Lee Bates (1859-1929)


"The land of the free and the home of the brave."
–Francis Scott Key (1779–1843)


"I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won.
There have been tyrants and murders, and for a time they seem invincible.
But in the end they always fall. Think of this. Always."
–Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948)


"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear–not absence of fear."
–Mark Twain (1835–1910)


"This land is your land, this land is my land,
from California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me."
–Woody Guthrie (1912–1967)


"There is nothing we cannot live down, rise above, and overcome."
–Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1855–1919)


"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
–Bible, 2 Timothy 1:7


"Okay, there's a group of us and we're going to do something...
If they're going to drive this plane into the ground we've got to do something."
–Thomas Burnett (1963–2001)
Passenger, Flight 93, Sept. 11, 2001


"We've decided, we're going to do it."
–Jeremy Glick (1970–2001)
Passenger, Flight 93, Sept. 11, 2001


"Are you guys ready? Let's roll!"
–Todd Beamer (1917–2001)
Passenger, Flight 93, Sept. 11, 2001


"Imagine there's no country, it isn't hard to do,
nothing to kill or die for, and no religion, too.
Imagine all the people living life in peace."
–John Lennon (1940–1980)


"Never in this world can hatred be stilled by hatred;
it will be stilled only by non-hatred–that is the law Eternal."
–Buddha (568-488 B.C.)


"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living."
–Seneca (c. 4 B.C.–65 A.D.)


"We should always be at war with injustice. Always."
–Maya Angelou (1928–)


"Only the just man enjoys peace of mind."
–Epicurus (371–270 B.C.)


"To correct the evils, great and small, which spring from want of sympathy
and from positive enmity among strangers, as nations and as individuals,
is one of the highest functions of civilization."
–Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)


"When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters.
One represents danger and the other represents opportunity."
–John F. Kennedy (1917–1963)


"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."
–Sun Tzu (c. early 4th Century B.C.)


"If you want to heal, give. When you need comfort and strength,
give to others. By helping other people, you can begin to heal."
–Dr. Phil McGraw


"Until you have become really in actual fact a brother of everyone,
brotherhood will not come to pass. Only by brotherhood will liberty be saved."
–Feodor Dostoevski (1821–1881)


"Life has its ups and downs. When you are down,
the angels are waiting to lift you up."
–Linda Pendleton


“We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
–Joseph Campbell, (1904-1987)


“I believe that peace becomes possible when we choose to make peace an attitude and a habit.
I believe that the reality of peace begins within each of us….”
~Mattie J. T. Stepanek, (1990-2004) Just Peace, A Message of Hope

To The Struggle Against World Terrorism Monument in New Jersey

"Peace cannot be kept by force.
It can only be achieved by understanding."
~Albert Einstein

This morning my friend Ricky Kendall sent me an email about this monument dedicated to the people who lost their lives on the 9-11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade bombing. Apparently there has been a photo of the monument circulating the Internet and verification about it at snopes and urban legends. Ricky, nor I, had heard about this monument before by a Russian artist and given to us by the peoples of Russia. I first thought, maybe it is because we both live out West so maybe that is why we had little publicity about it, but doing a little bit of inquiry I discovered people who live in New Jersey where the monument is, did not know of its existence! It is a shame the memorial did not get more press than it apparently did.

World renown artist, sculptor, designer, Zurab Konstantinovitch Tsereteli was born in Tbilisi ( Georgia ) on January 4, 1934 ; and graduated from the Academy of Arts in Tbilisi in 1958. His Monumental and Design Works are throughout Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Spain, France, Israel, Uruguay, Italy, and the United States. He designed the interior decoration of the embassies of the Russian Federation in the United States, Brazil, Portugal, Japan, Turkey, Syria. A philanthropist, he has generously donated his artworks to charitable auction and hospices.

Zurab Tsereteli was in his home in Moscow on the morning of September 11th. Like the rest of the world, he was glued to Television coverage of the attacks on the Twin Towers, and as he watched the towers collapse he was moved to tears. He soon after decided to do a memorial with an image of a tear. Soon after he came to the United States to find a place for the memorial. He found a perfect spot on the waterfront at Bayonne, New Jersey, across from Ground Zero and with the Statue of Liberty in view.

A 100-foot-tall, 175-ton, bronze-clad sculpture, which encloses a 40-foot steel teardrop, entitled "To The Struggle Against World Terrorism," is a gift from Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, Russian President Vladimir Putin, the people of Russia, to the people of the United States and was dedicated on the fifth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.

The monument's eleven-sided granite base includes the names of all those who perished in the initial explosion at the World Trade Center in 1993 and in the 2001 attacks. “His bronze monument reflects that image with a jagged tear through the center, and a 4-ton nickel tear hanging from the top. The tear represents not only the sadness and grief over the loss of life on 9/11 and previous attacks on the World Trade Center, but also hope for a future free from terror.”

The monument has several reflective elements, so that the visitor becomes part of the memorial. The nickel tear is shiny and mirror like. The granite name plates which make up the stand for the monument, and on which the names of the victims are etched, is also shiny and reflective.

In looking over previous reports about it, I see there was some controversy regarding size, names, or whatever. I also notice Ricky and I are not alone in never hearing or reading about this monument. I’ve now seen comments from a few people who actually live in New Jersey and never heard about it and its dedication of 9-11-2006!

H. G. Wells wrote, "Our true nationality is mankind.” Do you think we will ever get that?!

I now, ask, why did we not hear of it? Why did our press choose to keep quiet about such a beautiful and generous and heartfelt gift?

Thank you Zurab Tsereteli and all the people of Russia. The monument is a beautiful memorial.

I am reminded by all this of a beautiful and moving poem that Ricky wrote shortly after 9-11. You can read The Eagle Cried by Ricky Kendall here.


~Linda