The
Embassy of Hungary in Washington, D.C. commemorated the events of 9-11 and
paid its respects to the victims of the terrorist attacks with a musical
performance by renowned South African pianist Petronel Malan and the
opening of a sculpture exhibition featuring the works of Hungarian visual
artist Ildiko Kalapacs today. The commemoration was also attended by Mr.
Peter M. Murphy, Counsel for the Commandant of the Marine Corps at
Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. Mr. Murphy was present at the
destroyed wedge of the Pentagon at the time of the attacks.
"9/11 was an attack on all of
us," said Mr. Simonyi. "We cannot allow terrorists and murderers
to force us to change our way of life, because [...] then they have
won." Following introductory remarks by Ambassador Simonyi, Mr.
Murphy spoke to the audience about his personal experience at the Pentagon
crash site. "I'm a survivor, and extremely lucky. I did nothing
skilful, I did nothing extraordinary, but I saw people who did and it was
just incredible," said Mr. Murphy.
Mr. Murphy told the following story:
"Two folks stopped by my office yesterday; one was a medical student
and the other an army staff sergeant. Both had happened to be driving by
the Pentagon at 9.43 AM when American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.
They stopped, got out, and they volunteered to go in and then four days
later they would go home. After initially looking for survivors, they then
switched to bringing the dead out. I asked the young medical student what
year he was in and he said: 'I dropped out because I could not take it.'
Fortunately, he is going back to medical school next year. And that is the
heroism and bravery that I was talking about a thousand different times.
The Ambassador referred to it. That is the courage that was shown
throughout the country."
Ambassador
Simonyi also commemorated the deaths of Swedish foreign minister Anna
Lindh and Hungarian-born nuclear physicist Edward Teller.
