Special 9/11 Event Planned in Hawaii

Special 9/11 Event Planned in Hawaii

KITV

08.10.11

A pair of visitors from New York are greeted with a hero's welcome at the Honolulu International Airport.

Which is only fitting, as they are heroes who came to the rescue after the September 11 attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Even though those acts of terrorism took place nearly 10 years ago, the men cannot forget what happened.

"There is probably never a day that goes by that it doesn't enter your mind. Something always triggers a memory, besides the fact that there were so many firefighters killed that day," said Battalion Chief John LaBarbera.

Stephen Siller was one of the firefighters who rushed in to help, running three miles on foot after traffic blocked a tunnel to the towers.

"Stephen was off-duty at the time but felt the compelling need to help his company that was already there at the World Trade Center. Stephen ran through the tunnel with all his gear on, which weighed 60 pounds," said Battalion Chief John Carroll.

Siller died when one of the towers collapsed.

In his honor, each year a 5K run is held along the same route Siller took. This year, on 9/11, there will also be a run on Pearl Harbor's Ford Island Bridge.

While the run is in memory of a fallen firefighter, the money from the event will help a different kind of hero.

Heroes like Rose Marie Mesa, an Army Staff Sgt. who was injured in Afghanistan and had to be medivacked over to Oahu.

She spent three years in Hawaii without her kids, who were left in Guam, as she recovered from surgeries, complications and treatment.

"We needed Fisher House as a place to stay because there was no way we could afford Hawaii," said Mesa.

Mesa and her husband were able to stay in the non-profit Fisher House at Tripler, which gives soldiers a place to call home as they heal. "They provided a lot more than just room and board, they provided comfort, reassurance and positive healing. They provided a whole lot," added Mesa.

The manager at Fisher House, Theresa Johnson said many of the wounded troops from around the Pacific don't expect to be medivacked and stay in Hawaii for so long. They and their caregiver stay on average 1-4 months.

The Stephen Siller run begins at 7am on September 11th. For those who want to participate go to active.com and type in "Pearl Harbor" or call 561-7423 for more information.