On Friday at 12:46, our Embassy gathered around our flag to honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 innocents we lost on September 11, 2001 and to reflect on the importance of keeping true to their memory. Several friends joined us and among them was Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, an Icelander who happened to be in New York on the fateful day and who volunteered to assist our search and rescue workers in their search for survivors. We expressed our gratitude to Gunnlaugur, which we also extend to the Icelandic nation for their many offers of assistance and their heartfelt sympathy for us in the wake of that tragic day.
