BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.—This Sunday will mark the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on that grim day including 343 firefighters.
For one woman, she vows to keep their memory alive in her own unique way.
“This is my small way of paying my respects to them,” stated Anna DeWitt.
To honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, Anna DeWitt is making the long journey on foot from Darlington County to the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston for the annual 9/11 Silent Walk.
She started her travels four days ago and refuses to stop walking until she reaches her destination. Failure is simply not an option. Over the last year, she has been walking 3 miles for each of the 343 firefighters killed in 9/11.
“I’m doing this because I think a lot of Americans have forgotten what these 343 men and women did for us,” stated DeWitt. “I can’t image going to work and going to this call knowing that you’re probably going to die but you do it anyway to save people who you have no clue who they are. I think that’s my definition of a hero.”
Step-by-step, she inches closer to her destination. While her feet ache with every inch taken during the 121-mile journey, she says it’s a small price to pay compared to the many first responders who lost their lives in New York City on September 11, 2001.
“After the first 65 miles, I started to get blisters,” stated DeWitt. “They’ve started to swell. I’m now walking in sandals. My feet are wrapped up in gauze. They’re holding together.”
Her dedication to finishing the task at hand remains unwavering and the support from strangers and local first responders overwhelming. According to DeWitt, as she walks through town to town, firefighters accompany her on the journey, safely escorting her to her destination.
“I honestly thought that that when I started doing this journey, it was just going to be me running and my two guys who are with me,” stated DeWitt. “I never ever imagined that I’d have escorts through town or perfect strangers stopping on the side of the road to give me water bottles and people I don’t know walking with me.”
On September 11, 2015 DeWitt began her journey by running three miles for the first of the 343 firefighters killed during 9/11. On Sunday, she will be running for the 343rd time totaling more than 1,050 miles. Once she reaches her goal, she said she is going to give her feet some much needed rest.
“I’m going to take a break, but then I’m going to start walking for the police officers and the port authority. When I started this journey, I didn’t realize that the 343 people did not include the police officers or the private ambulance services, so I still have two-three pages of people to run for.”
Fifteen years ago, 37 police officers of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, 23 NYPD officers and eight emergency medical technicians and paramedics from private emergency medical services also lost their lives on a day that changed the U.S. forever.
For DeWitt, her 9-11 journey to remember all first responders is just beginning.
“I’ll continue this until I have every person of the World Trade Center recognized.”
Once her walk is completed, DeWitt plans to donate the flag she has been carrying to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City.
To follow Anna on her travels, visit her on Facebook by clicking here.
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