Always Remember, Never Forget
Written by Lisa Hoveskeland
This year is especially poignant to me, in understanding how damaging and serious the aftermath of a catastrophic event involving fire and structural destruction can be. A little over one month ago, my immediate neighborhood went up in flames. My neighbors next to me, behind me and as far as I can see from my back yard, was destroyed. Our house is still standing, but has sustained a great deal of damage. The easy fixes to the house will be a new roof, sealing the rafters and installing new insulation in the attic, new windows and possibly new siding and insulation in the walls. The most concerning damage to me is the damage you don’t see, but you can smell. It is the acrid, heavy stench of smoke and aerosol remnants of the burned vinyls and plastics from such things as windows and fences, hanging in the air and in our carpets, clothes, upholstery, and window treatments. It is these kinds of poisons in the air that ultimately killed so many people after 9/11. In fact, The World Trade Center Health Program says more than 9,000 people have died from illnesses related to the Sept. 11 attacks, a toll that now far exceeds the number of people killed on the day of the attacks.
September 11th is a day we should never forget. A total of 2,996 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks, including the 19 terrorist hijackers aboard the four airplanes. Citizens of 78 countries died in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
The Day Everything Changed
September 11, 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks, (9/11/2001), in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. It is a day to remember our heroes, those who have sacrificed their lives in the aid and defense of others. My brother, Dayne Clark, was one such hero. Though Dayne dearly wanted to serve in the military, he wasn’t able to due to a disability. His desire to make a difference and help others prevailed and he joined The American Red Cross where he found a home and a purpose.
He loved volunteering for many events throughout the years, but the culminating experience of Dayne’s life was having the opportunity to serve at Ground Zero, just days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Though his involvement there was more physically and emotionally taxing than he ever could have imagined, serving in such an important effort proved to be the most important experience of his life time. During his weeks volunteering there, Dayne was exposed to the dust and debris left in the air after the Twin Towers fell. Hidden in that dark and dusty air were carcinogenic particles and chemicals–asbestos, fiberglass, mercury, and benzene, among others. A short time after his service in New York City, Dayne developed a chronic illness. Though he was suffering in varying degrees of pain with a mysterious ailment, he continued to volunteer and travel to where he was needed. His illness was finally diagnosed as he was struggling through late stages of cancer, (several different cancers). Losing my brother so early was a devestating blow to me, but his sacrifice–to be in service to others and to help those in need, meant every thing to him. William Dayne Clark died a hero.
To all of our hero’s, THANK YOU.
Dayne found his bliss in serving with the Red Cross
Dayne was layed to rest next to my father, Bill Clark. He was only 55 years old.
