Straight Arrows Dedicate 9-11 Memorial

‘Straight Arrows’ dedicate 9/11 memorial
By: Spc. Breanne Pye
1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office
4th Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FARAH, Afghanistan – Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment,
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division gathered alongside civilians outside the tactical operations command center 11 Sept.
to dedicate a memorial in remembrance of the Sept.11 tragedy, 9 years ago today.

The ceremony began with Task Force Arrow’s executive officer, Maj. Brian Herzik, recounting the events of the morning of September 11, 2001.
After his speech, Herzik explained how the memorial came to exist.

The memorial was jointly crafted by the Soldiers of TF Arrow and local citizens of Afghanistan. It includes a piece of steel from the wreckage
of the World Trade Center that was hand-carried to Afghanistan by Cpt. Patrick Dowdell, battle captain for TF Arrow, assigned to
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4-42FA, 1BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

"This memorial is dedicated to those who fell,” said TF Arrow commander, Lt. Col Craig Berryman. “Simultaneously, this memorial
is also to honor those who rose to a violent occasion and stood up to carry the weight of a nation, in spite of those horrific attacks.”
“The steel you see before you is a visible and tangible reminder of what happened on that terrible day," he said.

Dowdell’s father, Lt. Kevin Dowdell of Rescue 4 from the New York City Fire Department, was killed during rescue/recovery operations
at Ground Zero after the first tower was hit. His body was never found and only a small piece of the equipment he was wearing that day was recovered.
Dowdell received the piece of steel used in the ‘Straight Arrow’ 9/11 memorial from the National Homeland Defense Association,
along with the 17-foot piece of steel that was erected outside Gate 1 at Fort Carson, Colo.

"I would humbly submit to you that this beam carries a special message, one of peace and prosperity,” said Berryman.
“This steel also represents the hope of something greater than a building; it is part of a greater desire, one designed to bring people together,
to unite them and to help them find a way forward, together.”

“That is why this steel is so important, not only to honor the fallen, but also to unite different cultures, to find mutual understanding and respect,”
Berryman concluded. “To give hope and opportunity a chance, in a land that has been desolate of such aspiration for over 30 years."
The memorial will permanently remain on Forward Operating Base Farah, Afghanistan.

For immediate release
2010-09-MI–05
By USAF Senior Airman Rylan K. Albright

A bond forged from tragedy: Two friends in Afghanistan observe what they lost on 9/11

FARAH, Afghanistan (Sept. 11, 2010) – As U.S. service members bowed their heads for a moment of silence in observation of the 9/11
terrorists attacks in 2001, the only sound that could be heard on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah, Afghanistan on Sept. 11, 2010
were the engines of tactical vehicles in the distance preparing to go on patrol. The sound is a reminder of the sacrifices service members
continue to mark in Afghanistan, nine years after the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked. Sept. 11th on FOB Farah marked
an opportunity to reflect on the tragic events which sparked the on-going conflict in the region, but for friends U.S. Army Capt. Patrick Dowdell
and former U.S. Army Capt. Joe Quinn, it was another day to remember the loss of a family member as a result of the attacks.

“For me and Joe, we remember 9/11 everyday. It is a part of who we are,” said Capt. Dowdell, who serves as Chief of Operations,
4/42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Ft. Carson, Colo.

Dowdell’s father, Kevin Dowdell, a 21-year fire fighter for the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), was killed while conducting rescue efforts
with Rescue 4 from Queens, N.Y. inside the south tower of the World Trade Center (WTC).

Dowdell and Quinn’s friendship started at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. While Quinn was already attending the academy,
Dowdell continued his military service in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, enrolling at West Point one year after his father was killed.
Both grew up in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y. and both lost a family member during 9/11; a bond was instantly forged.

Quinn’s brother, Jimmy Quinn, an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald, worked on the 101st floor of the north tower when it was struck by a commercial airliner in between the 93rd and 99th floors. 648 Cantor Fitzgerald employees lost their lives on 9/11, the highest toll for any company during the attacks.

Dowdell and Quinn’s friendship continued at Ft. Sill, Okla., where then-2nd Lt. Dowdell and then-Capt. Quinn roomed together in 2006.

Joe Quinn of Boston, Mass., Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team, left, and U.S. Army Capt. Patrick Dowdell
of Ft. Carson, Colo., Chief of Operations, 4/42^nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1^st Brigade Combat Team, 4^th Infantry Division, right,
stand at the 9/11 memorial on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah, Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2010. The two men, who both grew up
in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., forged a bond while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
and as roommates at Ft. Sill, Okla. Dowdell’s father, Kevin Dowdell, was killed while conducting rescue operations with the
Fire Department of New York in the south tower of the World Trade Center and Quinn’s brother was killed while working for
Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101^st floor of the north tower during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Dowdell and Quinn participated
in a memorial ceremony with other service members on FOB Farah to mark the 9^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Quinn completed two combat tours and Dowdell completed one in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The journey of the two came full circle nine years to the day after Sept. 11, 2001 in Afghanistan, the country which harboured Al-Qaeda terrorists
who orchestrated the attacks. Dowdell contacted Quinn, who, following six years of active duty service with the U.S. Army, is currently serving
as a civilian on a Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team in Herat. They discussed the completion of a 9/11 memorial and the plans
for a remembrance ceremony at FOB Farah on Sept. 11.

The memorial contained a steel piece of the WTC, a plywood replica of the twin towers, and photographic displays of the attacks.
It was constructed in front of the 4/42nd Field Artillery Regiment headquarters, right on the doorstep where Dowdell plans daily operations in Farah Province.

Quinn travelled to Farah to join his brother-in-arms during the observation of the day, to be in the company of a friend who understands his grief.

“If we can’t be with our families, we might as well be together. It really helps seeing Pat on this day,” said Quinn, “For me, serving in Afghanistan
on Sept. 11 is very significant. This is where Al-Qaeda trained terrorists under the protection of the Taliban.”

Dowdell and Quinn said one of the most important aspects of today is to honor the service members who have heroically volunteered
to combat terrorism worldwide.

“Today is not just about the lives which were lost on 9/11, it is also about the troops serving as a result of 9/11,” said Dowdell.

The steel chunk of the WTC that stands on the grounds of FOB Farah represents what was lost on 9/11. Dowdell, who also helped orchestrate
a 9/11 memorial at Ft. Carson, worked extensively with countless organizations and agencies back in the U.S. to retrieve the piece.

Cooperation with Don Addy, President of the National Homeland Defense Foundation in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Lee Ielpi
of the WTC Tribute Center whose son was killed on 9/11 while serving as a FDNY fire fighter, was essential to successfully acquire
the steel piece of the WTC. Release arrangements were made final with Peter Miller of the New York Port Authority, where remains
of the WTC are stored in a hangar at John K. Kennedy Airport, N.Y.

“The steel piece is a daily reminder for troops before they go out on patrol of what occurred 9 years ago.
The sacrifices they give everyday honors our families,” said Dowdell.

For the family members of Dowdell and Quinn back in New York, the loss of their loved ones is not forgotten. Dowdell’s younger brother,
James Dowdell, is a fire fighter for Ladder 174 in Brooklyn, where he will be participating in the Tour of Duty Run across the Brooklyn Bridge
during the morning hours of Sept. 11.

Dowdell and Quinn explained the humbling relationship between the FDNY, NYPD and U.S. service members as a result of 9/11.
The fire fighters and police officers of New York claim those serving in the military are heroes that they idolize, but service members
would argue the opposite, that those serving on the streets of New York are the true heroes.

The two friends say both are heroes. They both serve to protect the lives of Americans and freedoms of people worldwide
and their sacrifices honor the lives of Kevin Dowdell, Jimmy Quinn, and thousands of others that were lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

Joe Quinn of Boston, Mass.,
Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team,
left, and U.S. Army Capt. Patrick Dowdell of Ft. Carson, Colo.,
Chief of Operations, 4/42^nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1^st Brigade
Combat Team, 4^th Infantry Division, right, raise a Fire Department
of New York (FDNY) flag following the conclusion of a 9/11 memorial
on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah, Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2010.

The two men, who both grew up in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
forged a bond while attending the United States Military Academy
at West Point, N.Y. and as roommates at Ft. Sill, Okla. Dowdell’s father
Kevin Dowdell was killed while conducting rescue operations with FDNY
in the south tower of the World Trade Center and Quinn’s brother
was killed while working for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101^st floor
of the north tower during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Dowdell and Quinn
participated in a memorial ceremony with other service members
on FOB Farah to mark the 9^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

(ISAF photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rylan K. Albright)

U.S. service members participate in a moment of silence
at the 9/11 memorial on Forward Operating Base Farah,
Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2010.

The event was conducted to mark the 9^th anniversary
of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

(ISAF photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rylan K. Albright)

A U.S. service member walks by a steel piece of the
World Trade Center (WTC) following a 9/11 memorial
on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah, Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2010.

The event was conducted to mark the 9^th anniversary
of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The steel piece was transported
to FOB Farah by coordination of U.S. Army Capt. Patrick Dowdell
of Ft. Carson, Colo., Chief of Operations, 4/42^nd Field Artillery Regiment,
1^st Brigade Combat Team, 4^th Infantry Division and other agencies
and organizations from the U.S. Dowdell’s father Kevin Dowdell
was killed while conducting rescue operations with FDNY
in the south tower of the WTC.
Dowdell currently serves on FOB Farah.

(ISAF photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rylan K. Albright)

U.S. service members walk by the 9/11 memorial on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah, Afghanistan
during the early hours of Sept. 11, 2010. An event to mark the 9^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks
was conducted later that morning.

The U.S. and Fire Department of New York flag light up the 9/11 memorial on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah,
Afghanistan during the early hours of Sept. 11, 2010. An event to mark the 9^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks
was conducted later that morning.