CHERRY HILL – Camden Catholic High School hosted a school-wide assembly the morning of Sept. 11, inviting three first responders to share their firsthand accounts of the terrorist attacks and the days, months and years that followed.
“Because our students do not have a living memory of 9/11, I hope that today’s assembly provided them with a context to understand the events of the day and how they shaped how we live now,” said Heather Crisci, school principal.
Spearheaded by religion teacher Deacon Tobias Haley and the school’s Mother McAuley Chapter of the National Honor Society, the event welcomed Tech. Sgt. Raymond Mejias, retired U.S. Air Force medic and former New York City police officer; Lt. Col. Barbara McCormick-Mejias, a retired U.S. Air Force medic and nurse; and Father Robert Pinnisi, a priest of the Diocese of Metuchen who was a New York City police officer at the time of the 9/11 attacks.
The assembly began with a video that gave the students some history of the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the downing of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. It also provided a timeline of the events that followed, including The War on Terrorism, and changes in the ways the United States approaches security, defense and everyday experiences.
Mejias and McCormick-Mejias, who are married, were both serving at Langley Air Force in Virginia at the time. They remember watching the news on TV and seeing the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, hit the World Trade Center. McCormick-Mejias said she instantly knew “things had definitely changed.”
When American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, McCormick-Mejias was told to “grab a bag; you are going to the Pentagon.”
Mejias, meanwhile, was told to remain at Langley Air Force. As a former NYPD officer, however, he desperately wanted to go to New York City to help his fellow officers.
“So many different feelings were running through my head,” Mejias recalled. “We knew our lives were not going to be the same.”
He would later end up in New York, spending several months at Ground Zero. He shared with the students the teamwork and heroism he witnessed at the site, which he described as “something out of a disaster movie.”
Father Pinnisi was on duty Sept. 11 as a community affairs police officer in New York City, driving his captain to a meeting with other officials, when the call came in about the North Tower being hit. His captain turned to him and said, “Grab a helmet and head to Manhattan.”
To describe to the students how close he was to Ground Zero, Father Pinnisi pointed from the auditorium stage to the back wall, saying it was no farther than that distance. He also described the “groaning the towers were making” before they eventually fell. He spent the days directly after the attacks busing EMS and military personnel from other parts of the city to the wreckage. He later assisted with identifying the remains of those who died.
When asked what lessons the students in attendance should carry forward, McCormick-Mejias said, “Be prepared.”
She later added, “Be a lifelong learner. Take time to look up and interact with people.”
Senior Lucy Bielicki, a member of the Mother McAuley Chapter of the National Honor Society, said she felt motivated from McCormick-Mejias’ words. “Our strength is community. We have to stop isolating ourselves and relying on thinking we can do it alone. We need everyone to make the world better.”
Father Pinnisi echoed those sentiments in his advice: “Love always conquers evil. No matter what. Jesus died on the Cross out of love for us. Nothing conquers Him.”
Both McCormick-Mejias and Mejias eventually deployed to Afghanistan for the War on Terrorism. Senior Lucia Schlett, who hosted the panel, said she was moved by Mejias’ story and the selflessness of he and all who served “to protect our country and protect our future.”
“People were so willing to put their lives on the line for others,” said Schlett, also a member of the National Honor Society. “It didn’t matter if it was a stranger or they knew them personally. They did not hesitate to go in head-first to a fire, smoke or dust to save whoever they could.”
Crisci agreed. “People saw a crisis and stepped forward to help. The stories are impactful. Students can learn about the best parts of our society from those who served others on 9/11.”
Father Pinnisi concluded the panel with a special prayer, asking the Lord for “continued hope for the students present,” and to “always remember those who showed bravery and gave their lives on Sept. 11.”
At the conclusion of the event, Bielicki said, “Getting this experience to talk with people who were there and directly involved really showed the scale and how massive the impact was in their personal lives. I could really feel for them. [Sept. 11] is something we should remember because it is a pain people still carry; we should honor that for them.”
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