Like most Americans, I am able to vividly recall the events that took place 12 years ago. It was my last year of high school, and a friend and I decided to leave study hall to hang out in the library.
As we waltzed in, laughing and joking, I remember being hushed, and our attention shifted to the TV. I was just 17 years old — there was no way to comprehend the magnitude of devastation that tore through our nation that morning. I don’t need to explain the wave of emotions that followed. Sixteen months later, I was standing on the famous yellow footprints of the Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot Parris Island. Two years after entering recruit training, I was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, one of the most volatile battlegrounds of the Iraq war up to that point. By now, most readers are probably asking, “What is the point of this editorial?” I digress.
Firehouse Subs boasts its motto as being “Founded by Firemen.” It prides itself on asking customers to donate their change on purchases, and in return the company donates funds and equipment to first responders. Great company, right? Firemen giving back to firefighters. However, this is the second year I am aware of that this company has forgotten about the attacks of Sept. 11.
Last year on Sept. 11, I wandered into Firehouse Subs and realized there wasn’t a single sign, banner, flier or printed statement reminding patrons of the significance of the day. I spoke with the manager, and although he was sympathetic, he said he had no control over what gets displayed. That evening I emailed the company to express my disappointment, and still a year later I’ve yet to receive a reply.
Second to the victims in the Twin Towers, firefighters and first responders were the first to lay down their lives in terrific acts of bravery. It wasn’t until a year later that military began to witness their casualties. How can a company who says they are “Founded by Firemen” fail to give even the slightest remembrance to the heroes who were first on scene?
The United States of America was forever changed by the events that took place on that fatal day, but America made a promise to “Never Forget” — to always remember that terror is real, and we’re not invincible. We must also remember the brave individuals who, in a moment’s notice, were willing to sacrifice their lives for others.
Michael Filipelli is a UF engineering senior and former sergeant in the Marine Corps. This guest column ran on page 7 on 9/13/2013 under the headline "No 9/11 recognition: Is Firehouse Subs a scam?"
