Friday morning at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, the routine hum of departures and arrivals gave way to something quieter. At 8:46 a.m., a moment of silence for the first plane striking the North Tower. At 9:03 a.m., the exact minute the second plane hit the South Tower, another pause. Then fire trucks rolled out and sent arcs of water over the airfield, a salute shared by fire departments across the country on this anniversary.
SRQ fire and police personnel took part, joined by Fire Chief Jason Hackley, Police Chief Joseph Centanni, and airport President and CEO Paul Hoback. Hoback said September 11 is deeply personal for SRQ because of the role the airport and this community played that morning. He added that he hopes we continue to carry forward the unity, compassion and care for one another our nation showed in the days that followed.
Twenty-five years later, that message still lands here on the Suncoast, where so many neighbors remember exactly where they were when they heard the news. The salute was brief, but the meaning wasn’t.
Did you see Friday’s water cannon salute at SRQ, or do you have a memory of that day you’d like to share? Tell us in the comments.
