KEWASKUM, Wis. — Hundreds of Wisconsinites showed up for the annual remembrance at the 9/11 Memorial and Education Center.
Julie Henneberry, Gordon Haberman, and Fred Hernandez were all directly impacted by the senseless violence 24 years ago in New York. Now, for the first time, Henneberry has decided to share her story.
"I'm a living, breathing person that was affected by this event," Henneberry said. "This was a real event. It wasn't that long ago and it wasn't that far away. The ripple effects can still be felt in everyday society."
She was 10 years old when her father Peter Freund, a New York Fire Department lieutenant, died while trying to save lives in the north tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Watch: Those directly impacted by 9/11 attacks ask Kewaskum community not to forget
The New York native eventually moved from to Wisconsin after college. Since then she's tried to come to terms with her dad's death.
"It's not just a one-and-done thing for us. We live this every single day," she said. "My son has to live without his grandpa. I have to explain that to him."
Henneberry said it wasn't until 2020, when she gave birth to her son, that she decided it was time to find out more about her dad's story and then share it publicly.
Gordon Haberman helped build the Kewaskum 9/11 Memorial and Education Center in honor of his daughter Andrea, who was killed while at a meeting at the World Trade Center.
"We're extremely proud that school groups and younger people come here to have guided tours and learn about the events of 9/11 from people that have firsthand knowledge," he said. "Amidst the most horrible of atrocities, the murder of my daughter, the goodness that surrounded us I carry with me. This is an extension of that."
Fred Hernandez was part of the World Trade Center recovery cleanup crew. He got to know Wisconsin families touched by the tragedy—including the Habermans.
"I'm proud to be here. I'm proud to have done what I did. We all had a job to get done and help the families out down there," he said. "This is a beautiful site. There are a lot of stories behind this site to make this place happen. I'm glad that I was a part of it."
For Henneberry, despite the passing of time, the pain and loss she feels still hurts as if the 9/11 attacks happened yesterday.
"I hope people learn from it," she said. "I hope that kids or people that weren't alive in 2001 learn more about it because I think me speaking, being here as flesh and blood, makes it way more personable and almost like you can touch it."
The memorial board announced they're also building a museum in Kewaskum to further their goal to never forget the lives lost in the 9/11 attacks.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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