thedrifter
09-11-06, 08:41 AM
09/11/2006
‘Never, never forget’
John Roman , Of the Times Staff
LOWER CHICHESTER - A special 9/11 memorial service with a candlelight ceremony at the Linwood Heights United Methodist Church Sunday was particularly heartfelt to church member Pearl "Mickey" Ehlo, a retired Marine Corps sergeant major.
Ehlo, 81, said she was also touched by a slide presentation on the devastation and rescue efforts at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa.
She served in the Marines 27½ years, retiring in 1985 at age 60. Wearing a red, white and blue dress covered with American flag designs and a Marine globe/anchor pendant, her patriotic pride was visibly evident.
Ehlo was instrumental in getting the son of Pastor David J. Davis, Prashanth Davis, to enlist in the Marine Corps, according to his parents. Now in Quantico, Va., he has served on missions in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Ehlo called the slide presentation "outstanding" and said remembrance of the attacks on America is very important.
"People have to wake up. It’s not all money; it’s take care of each other.
"And my Marines overseas are very angry when they come home to hear how people say, ‘Get them out of there; get them out,’" Ehlo said.
"People over there really love them, but we’re not hearing that from the press," she said.
She recalled the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, that sparked the U.S. entry into World War II. "So seven, and tomorrow is the 11th, 7/11 - and two tragedies - it just came to mind," she said.
She said she lost Marines during the terrorists attacks. Ehlo said she was from Staten Island "so I had a lot of people there that were involved in taking care of those that were being rescued.
"They did it. It’s just one of those things, the firemen, the policemen, the military - we’re taught to take care of each other," she said. "And that’s what’s wrong with our civilians right now: They won’t take care of each other. They’re only taking care of themselves.
"I will never, never, never forget it (9/11)," she said.
Davis said the whole idea of the memorial service at the church on Chichester Avenue "is to help parishioners understand - that even in the midst of fear - we have hope.
"And in the midst of insecurity and problems that have to do with all these kind of things that happen, we still have a strong confidence that our God is with us," he said.
"There are more questions I think in everybody’s mind than answers," Davis said. "But what I’m trying to do with my community is to help them to understand that there are many things that we cannot change.
"But there are certainly some things that we can change, and that is to do it ourselves, our attitudes, our outlook on life, and our relationship to others," he said.
He said the tradeoff for more security at airports and other measures are necessary. "I believe that this is the cost we have to pay in order to be secure, safe, to enjoy the liberty we have..
Davis added that all of these precautions "are a small cost to pay for the freedom we have in this great nation."
Following the slide presentation with patriotic songs such as "America the Beautiful" in the background, Davis asked the some 50 parishioners to line up with candles and approach the altar to light them and place them in a container.
Davis told the congregation they were also here to renew their hope in humanity.
"We’re here to remember, we’re here to recount, we’re here to renew our spirits," he said at the outset of his sermon.
"In the midst of calamity, we can be calm; in the midst of absolute fear we can be faithful," he said.
"In the midst of our loss, we can experience the wealth of your (God’s) presence," Davis said.
On the morning of the terrorist attacks five years ago, the pastor recalled reading his Bible and preparing his sermon when somebody called him and said, "Idiot, get in front of the TV and see what’s happening - it was Sept. 11."
Describing his reaction to the televised devastation, he took an emotional pause saying, "I saw ..some of those images that indelibly changed my perception and put in more questions than answers.
"And my heart went out to those people who lost their lives," he said.
"Over the years I have learned that there are no easy answers."
Ellie
‘Never, never forget’
John Roman , Of the Times Staff
LOWER CHICHESTER - A special 9/11 memorial service with a candlelight ceremony at the Linwood Heights United Methodist Church Sunday was particularly heartfelt to church member Pearl "Mickey" Ehlo, a retired Marine Corps sergeant major.
Ehlo, 81, said she was also touched by a slide presentation on the devastation and rescue efforts at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa.
She served in the Marines 27½ years, retiring in 1985 at age 60. Wearing a red, white and blue dress covered with American flag designs and a Marine globe/anchor pendant, her patriotic pride was visibly evident.
Ehlo was instrumental in getting the son of Pastor David J. Davis, Prashanth Davis, to enlist in the Marine Corps, according to his parents. Now in Quantico, Va., he has served on missions in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Ehlo called the slide presentation "outstanding" and said remembrance of the attacks on America is very important.
"People have to wake up. It’s not all money; it’s take care of each other.
"And my Marines overseas are very angry when they come home to hear how people say, ‘Get them out of there; get them out,’" Ehlo said.
"People over there really love them, but we’re not hearing that from the press," she said.
She recalled the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, that sparked the U.S. entry into World War II. "So seven, and tomorrow is the 11th, 7/11 - and two tragedies - it just came to mind," she said.
She said she lost Marines during the terrorists attacks. Ehlo said she was from Staten Island "so I had a lot of people there that were involved in taking care of those that were being rescued.
"They did it. It’s just one of those things, the firemen, the policemen, the military - we’re taught to take care of each other," she said. "And that’s what’s wrong with our civilians right now: They won’t take care of each other. They’re only taking care of themselves.
"I will never, never, never forget it (9/11)," she said.
Davis said the whole idea of the memorial service at the church on Chichester Avenue "is to help parishioners understand - that even in the midst of fear - we have hope.
"And in the midst of insecurity and problems that have to do with all these kind of things that happen, we still have a strong confidence that our God is with us," he said.
"There are more questions I think in everybody’s mind than answers," Davis said. "But what I’m trying to do with my community is to help them to understand that there are many things that we cannot change.
"But there are certainly some things that we can change, and that is to do it ourselves, our attitudes, our outlook on life, and our relationship to others," he said.
He said the tradeoff for more security at airports and other measures are necessary. "I believe that this is the cost we have to pay in order to be secure, safe, to enjoy the liberty we have..
Davis added that all of these precautions "are a small cost to pay for the freedom we have in this great nation."
Following the slide presentation with patriotic songs such as "America the Beautiful" in the background, Davis asked the some 50 parishioners to line up with candles and approach the altar to light them and place them in a container.
Davis told the congregation they were also here to renew their hope in humanity.
"We’re here to remember, we’re here to recount, we’re here to renew our spirits," he said at the outset of his sermon.
"In the midst of calamity, we can be calm; in the midst of absolute fear we can be faithful," he said.
"In the midst of our loss, we can experience the wealth of your (God’s) presence," Davis said.
On the morning of the terrorist attacks five years ago, the pastor recalled reading his Bible and preparing his sermon when somebody called him and said, "Idiot, get in front of the TV and see what’s happening - it was Sept. 11."
Describing his reaction to the televised devastation, he took an emotional pause saying, "I saw ..some of those images that indelibly changed my perception and put in more questions than answers.
"And my heart went out to those people who lost their lives," he said.
"Over the years I have learned that there are no easy answers."
Ellie