KEWASKUM, Wis. — It’s been nearly 21 years since the tragedy that brought the nation together in grief, but surviving families of 9/11 victims say justice has yet to be served for five men charged with planning the Sept. 11 attack.
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four others who admitted to plotting 9/11 sit in Guantanamo Bay where they are still awaiting trial over two decades later.
Gordon Haberman, a West Bend man who lost his daughter Andrea in the North Tower that day, has been to Guantanamo four times to witness those proceedings.
“Hopefully within the next year here we’ll have some resolution and I hope to be down there either for their pleas or their statements,” said Haberman.
Haberman says going to trial is vital for the American people to know and understand the details of what happened that day.
“Truly the answers of 9/11 are contained in two courtrooms right now, in Guantanamo and New York, and it’s important the story gets out.”
Until then, he and his family remember Andrea every day in their own way.
“She was a lovely person both inside and out. Caring, intelligent, articulate. She was on her way. The anniversary just marks the point of when she was killed, but in our eyes, part of every day is 9/11.”
A beam from the North Tower is now in the center of the Kewaskum memorial. That memorial, along with countless others, serves as a daily reminder for the community to continue learning about that historic day.
Fuzz Martin, the president of the memorial’s board of directors said education is a major pillar of the remembrance area.
“There are generations of people who are growing up and weren’t around, or weren’t old enough to know, what was happening on that day,” said Martin. “Just to know that there’s a place for people to come and be a part of that, reflect, learn and that it’s going to be here for years to come is really important.”
For those looking to educate themselves or others on the history of 9/11, Martin says the Wisconsin Memorial’s website has several resources for all age groups.
