Today marks 19 years since the devastating events that occurred in our country on Sept. 11, 2001, now recognized as Patriot Day. In this moving video, Dan Forsman, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, calls on the industry to pause for a national moment of silence this morning at 8:46 a.m. ET to remember all those who lost their lives and the tremendous sacrifice made by so many. Watch:
“I don’t think any of us will ever forget where we were when we first heard the news of the planes crashing, and the feelings provoked inside of each one of us,” Forsman says in the video. “The bravery and honor that was displayed on this day is something that I personally will never forget.”
“We remember and will never forget the nearly 3,000 lives lost across the country, and the honor, the compassion and the courage that it took for those to put themselves in harm’s way for complete strangers,” he says.
In his uplifting message to the industry, Forsman says he feels gratitude from his reflections on the bravery and selflessness of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and their families, who continue to feel the loss and pain of that day’s tragic events. But he says he also draws hope from the spirit of American resilience.
“Nineteen years later, we should all reflect on the love and the bond that has restored our faith throughout all our trials and tribulations,” he says. “This year has presented us with many challenges, but one thing rings truer than ever, and that is that the American spirit is resilient.
“These times are hard, and they are unprecedented. But we have been through uncharted waters before as a country. And I know, that no matter the obstacles that stand in our path, we as Americans have always found a way to move forever forward.”
Forsman says it is in this spirit, “I want to challenge each of us, each of you, to look for ways to be kind to our neighbors and to carry on the legacy of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Never forget how we, as a country, as a community, came together to support one another in complete unity, despite our differences. And that no matter what our beliefs were, we were all unified for a common cause.”
RISMedia joins Dan Forsman and our entire industry in honoring those who lost their lives and their families on 9/11, 19 years ago today. We will never forget the bravery of and sacrifices made by so many.
