The following is a statement issued by Councilmember Nadeau on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

It’s very hard for me to believe that 25 years have passed since that unfathomable attack on our country. It’s impossible to erase the memory of where I was the moment I heard the news (walking across the quad at Boston College), the fear I had for my family who worked in Manhattan at that time, or the incredible pain that followed for each of us.  

Not so far away in Pennsylvania my future husband, who I would not meet for another 15 years, would soon make the decision to enlist in the Army and do two tours of duty in Operation Enduring Freedom. During that time, he formed deep relationships with Afghan military colleagues. When Afghanistan fell again to the Taliban in 2021 due to US withdrawal, those colleagues and their families were targeted by the Taliban for execution, and likely worse. I watched from the sidelines for weeks as my husband moved heaven and earth to evacuate them to safety and our family ultimately helped them settle in Canada with their extended family.  
 
Yesterday, the daughter of our Afghan friends was married in a beautiful ceremony, surrounded by loved ones, including my husband, mother and daughter. 

I’m brimming with emotions on this anniversary. Thinking about all of that and also the incredible heroism of so many people that day – first responders, many many civilians who stepped up and jumped in to assist, and of the many. Lives lost in the horrific tragedies of the twin towers, the Pentagon, on a field in Pennsylvania, and the D.C. students and staff who lost their lives, as well. 

And through the sadness I feel love, hope and joy. Such a great weight for us all.