- Title: Navy Seals swim across New York's Hudson River to commemorate 9/11
- Date: 8th August 2021
- Summary: CHILD HOLDS U.S. FLAG AS U.S. NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYING, PAN TO PARTICIPANTS
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2021 06:50
- Keywords: 9/11 Navy Seals World Trade Center run swim
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, + JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, + JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA004EPF5OW7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Some 200 people swam across the Hudson River on Saturday (August 7) to honor the 20 year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Most were current or former U.S. Navy Seals as well as other military veterans and supporters,
"Being able to show support for both, the people who were involved and who are in those roles now doing similar type of work, it's just important," said Kristen Seifm, the first woman who finished the swim, and a wife of a Navy Seal. "I think it's really nice to make a big deal out of it because it was a big deal."
The swimmers stopped twice along the way on barges anchored outside of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for 100 push-ups in honor of America's liberties and 22 pull-ups in recognition of 22 veterans who commit suicide every day.
GI Go Fund, a nonprofit that assists veterans, active-duty personnel, and their family members with finding jobs and navigating benefits, organized the event.
"We want to make sure that everybody knows that they're never forgotten and they're appreciated and that their family knows that we love and appreciate the sacrifices that they made," said Alex Manis, chief financial officer at GI Go Fund.
The event also recognizes the 10 year anniversary of Extortion 17, a shoot-down of a Navy Seal helicopter with 38 service members and crew.
It ended with participants placing the U.S. flag into the 9/11 memorial at the South Reflection Pool at the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan to honor the victims of 9/11 and all those who died in the wars that followed.
(Production: Aleksandra Michalska) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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