SRO Alex Reno Talks to Students About 9/11
By Christina Hamilton
Hampton Union, Tuesday, September 15, 2009
[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]
[Courtesy Photo by Christina Hamilton}
Special to the Hampton Union
HAMPTON — Students on Hampton Academy’s 8 Blue Team had an incredible learning opportunity on Friday, Sept. 11, when School Resource Officer Alex Reno taught a lesson on the events of 9/11.
Reno began the day by leading students to the school’s flagpole and guiding a ceremonial lowering of the American flag to half mast while explaining the significance of the practice.
Reno then shared his personal experiences of 9/11, telling students his story of being assigned to protect the wife and children of Tom McGuinness, co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, which was piloted by terrorists into one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on the day of the attacks.
“I always think of the family,” Reno told the students, “it’s just not something you can forget.
“Few memories move me like those of the time I spent with the McGuinness family,” the resource officer said. “I think of their compassion and the way they thought of others even in the midst of such a dark time.”
Reno then discussed changes in airport security after the attack and the Patriot Act. He concluded his presentation with a question-and-answer session with the students.
“We need to remember,” he urged students. “Remembering is how we pay tribute to those who died on 9/11, as well as to the heroes who kept our country standing strong and proud.”