Vincent Rega, a downtown bike patrol officer 10 years ago for the Winston-Salem Police Department, asked a simple question after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks: "What do we here need to do for them there?"
On Sunday at Joel Coliseum, while standing in front of fellow police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency personnel at the city's commemoration of first responders, Rega, who is now a police sergeant, described how answers to that question came from all corners.
"Hey, I got a guy with a van."
"Hey, this guy's mom can make us sandwiches."
"Hey, this business over here gives us 100 bucks for gas."
"Let's go," Rega said, recalling how he and other first responders from Winston-Salem traveled to New York.
That spirit of the everyday individual helping others was highlighted earlier by Vivian Burke, a member of the Winston-Salem City Council and one of many elected officials at the commemoration.
"We know how to come together in America, and we know how to come together in Winston-Salem. I love my country," Burke said. "I'm in good hands with our Winston-Salem Police Department. I'm in good hands with our Winston-Salem Fire Department. I'm in good hands with our emergency management personnel."
Ten years ago, many of those first responders and Rega ended up at Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, one of the five New York boroughs. Debris collected from ground zero awaited inspection. In it were the personal effects of people who perished. Those items, later handed over to relatives or friends, represented closure, Rega said.
"When we came back a lot of people hailed us as heroes. I appreciate that, but I'm humbled by it.
"The first responders at ground zero: heroes.
"Flight 93 passengers: heroes.
"The people at the Pentagon to pull people from the rubble: heroes.
"Our military: heroes.
"No, we weren't heroes. We were something different. Just as important — we represent the everyman. It didn't matter what uniform you wore if you wore a uniform or what role you played. We were just a bunch of committed individuals," Rega said.
Other highlights of the commemoration, which was attended mostly by area first responders and their relatives and friends, included moving video testimonials, music from the UNC School of the Arts orchestra as well as the Winston-Salem State University Choir.
After the event, as people started filing out of Joel Coliseum, John Ridings of Tobaccoville took a minute to talk about his grown children, two of whom are paramedics, and the 10 years that have passed since the terrorist attacks.
"We should not ever feel that something like this could not happen again," Riding said. "Appreciate life and our fellow man every day. It seems like the only time we think about our fellow man is in a time of crisis. We should do that every day."
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