KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — The Outer Banks community made it clear Friday that the Sept. 11 tragedy 25 years ago will not be forgotten. Hundreds of people joined together for an annual walk on Patriot Day.
Firefighters in gear, American flags on shoulders and placed along the sidewalk of the route, hundreds of people walking as drivers honked their horns. This is all part of a powerful symbol of remembrance in the Outer Banks for the annual March to Remember — a walk that starts at the Kill Devil Hills Fire Department and ends at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
News 3 met Lee Goldman and Bob Essex on Friday, who both call the Outer Banks home but were also at ground zero in New York City 25 years ago.
"I started off working for Nassau County Police, driving an ambulance, and unfortunately watched the events unfold on television. At that point, I then had to switch hats. I became logistics chief for New York Two Disaster Medical Assistance Team, and then for that rest of the week, I was deployed to Ground Zero," said Goldman, the organizer of the March to Remember event.
"On the TV we saw the second plane hit, and I threw on a uniform and went in. Our department, we were all firefighters as well as police officers, so I was putting an air pack over my head when Tower Two came down. I left a message for my wife — I told her that Tower Two was down I'm okay, and I'm going into Tower One. By the grace of God, I'm here with you today," said Essex, who retired from the Port Authority police of New York and New Jersey.
Goldman started the annual March to Remember that is now in its fifth year and has seen it grow year after year. To see the Outer Banks community continue to come out and remember is special.
"It's nice to see it grow from 30 people doing the walk to several hundred this year, and it seems to be getting bigger and bigger. But the thing that does my heart good is realizing that these people here are not going to forget," said Goldman.
Essex echoed that message.
"It's amazing that this many people from small town USA come out to remember," said Essex.
Essex also carries with him a special piece of remembrance from the recovery efforts after Sept. 11.
"Was an eight-month operation to to do the recovery. The iron workers, if we asked them, they would cut a piece of steel for us. I asked one of the iron workers to cut a cross for me, and this is from the steel from the trade center," said Essex.
It's a day we'll continue to never forget. Goldman shares a special message about how the community comes together on this anniversary 25 years later.
"This is the fifth year of doing this walk, which does coincide with the 25th year of the events, and coincidentally enough, the 250th of this country. Hopefully, this builds us as Americans, as first responders, as humans. Most importantly, to show the compassion that we have for each other, and that's I think this country needs that," said Goldman.
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