Maryland Man Constructs Bell Honoring Those Lost On 9/11
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- We all know people who come up with big plans, but rarely follow through.
On this Memorial Day weekend, Mike Schuh had the pleasure to spend some time with a man whose big plans became a rolling reality.
September 11, 2001 changed many lives, including that of Essex man Chuck Ritz.
"Every year, I would go to either Shanksville or New York for the anniversaries," Ritz said.
Ritz didn't know anyone who died that day, nor does he know anyone who was killed in action in the subsequent military engagements spawned by that day.
But he did have a lasting idea, and following a decade of thought, fundraising, and fabrication, it has come to life.
A 99-year-old bell cast in Baltimore, that features 214 names from Maryland.
"So I had first responders in my family, and a lot of family members who served in the military," Ritz said. "And unfortunately I wasn't one of them, but this is just my way of giving back and as we say, keeping the promise. And that is to never forget."
The names of those from Maryland who were killed on 9/11 and members of the military from Maryland who have died in action are all listed.
Ritz saw other groups construct similar rolling memorials, and he felt compelled to raise the money for one in Maryland.
"So we were able to create this for $28,000, and it's an everlasting tribute to remember the 214 Marylanders," he said.
The memorial is rolling, and Ritz wants to bring it all over the state.
He feels he owes it to the people listed on the memorial and their families to spread the word.
"That was the whole reason to make it a rolling memorial. We want to be able to take it out and let people see it so we could tell the stories," said Ritz. "You have pride in the country you live in, and you have the respect for the way we live as Americans."
For the first time, the memorial will be part of the ceremony honoring fallen heroes on Memorial Day, at the Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.
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