By Bill Zeeble, KERA reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-626871.mp3
Grapevine, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA reporter: More than a hundred people, including airport chaplains from around the world, gathered at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport today, to remember those lost in the nine-eleven terrorist attacks.
They assembled at DFW'S Department of Public Safety fire station number 5, which was itself dedicated on nine-eleven, 2003. The traditional bell was struck to mourn colleagues who died 6 years ago, as they tried to save civilians. Nearly 3 thousand perished when terrorists turned 2 United and 2 American airlines jets into guided missiles. Protestant Chaplain Patricia Evans worked at New York's JFK airport. She still does.
Evans: I was there at JFK on 911. I was watching from JFK Airport. I dropped to my knees and got up angry and made, hurt, grieving, saddened , with determination to do all I could to bring comfort to all affected.
Zeeble: Evans was among some 60 international airport chaplains meeting this week at DFW. The International Airport Chaplains Acting President is Andrea Krasnai, from Budapest Hungary, who reflected on some changes since 9-11.
Chaplain Krasnai: Terrorism shake us up :39 There's so much need for a new sense of hope and trust. This world has a greater need than ever for spiritual bonds, dialog and harmony.
Zeeble: DFWS Public Affairs Vice President Ken Capps had several reasons to recall this date from 6 years ago. Among them? It was his first day on the job.
Ken Capps, VP, Airport Public Affairs Director: I just put on this gray suit I'm wearing today and came to the airport and showed up and thought I need to be here to help communicate what's going on cause there's so much fear and uncertainty. It's the best thing I've ever done.
Zeeble: Officials say passenger numbers here and nationwide took a steep drop right after the attacks. But now, they're back, according to DFW Airport's CEO, Jeff Fegan.
DFW Airport CEO Jeff Fegan: We did about 60 mill passengers last year. That's about what we did in the year 2000. We have almost completely recovered now in a business sense, from 9-11. It's taken 6 years to get here, but we're here now and things are going pretty well here at DFW at this point in time.
Zeeble: DFW Chaplain Dierdre Carmichael was more cautiously optimistic than Fegan. She thinks airline passengers think about the terrorist attacks every time they fly.
Carmichael: But we're healing. That's happening today. We're still kind of at that moment where we haven't crossed a threshold yet. We're still healing and in pain.
Zeeble: Bill Zeeble KERA news.
Bzeeble@Kera.Org