‘Never Forget’–Nashua mural remembering 9/11
In Nashua, Positive Street Art and Wilfred’s Barber Shop are working together to make sure the tragic events of 9/11 are not forgotten in the Gate City.
“I definitely think that a reminder and a refresher is a good idea, to be aware and never forget what we have been through,” Positive Street Art’s Manny Ramirez said Friday while working on the mural. “It’s a good reminder to stick to your guts and be resilient.”
Dave Pothier is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who owns the barber shop at 90 W. Pearl St. He said he did tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He wanted to make sure members of community do not forget the events that took place on that tragic day.
After seeing the murals that have been adorning walls throughout the city, Pothier decided he also wanted to contribute.
“I pretty much felt like it has been long enough, that everyone is starting to forget about it, even though everyone said never forget, and I just felt like – I’ve been seeing all these murals around town and I was thinking about how I could contribute to it,” Pothier said.
The mural, when complete, will depict a New York City firefighter carrying an American flag as he walks past the twin World Trade Center towers that were felled as a tribute to those who were tasked with responding.
“I know a lot of people focus just on military on Memorial Day weekend, but I feel like Sept. 11 – the first responders, the firefighters and police who lost their lives,” Pothier said, “that was one of the big reasons for why I enlisted.”
Ramirez said he plans to be finished before Sunday. He too said the mural’s objective to be a reminder of the events that took place 18 years ago is important, especially in continuing to build resilience in Americans.
“I think people tend to forget, especially for a nation as resilient as we are,” Ramirez said. “I think afterwards, new generations come and forget what the old generation did and what happened.”
Pothier said the shop has no plans on hosting a ceremony to unveil the mural to the public, as he does not see this as necessary.
“It’ll speak for itself for Memorial Day,” he said. “I think people are going to notice it no matter what.”