ANDOVER, Minn. — An American bald eagle landed, just for a few minutes, on top of a fire engine ladder that was marking the 9/11 memorial in Andover, Minnesota, Tuesday.
The big raptor stayed long enough for firefighters and other first responders to gasp in amazement and comment on the significance of the eagle perching atop the ladder at just that moment.
First responders lined a freeway overpass in Andover to mark the day that four planes attacked the U.S., joining other Americans across the country in memorial services for those who lost their lives and the loved ones who had to go on without them.
“Isn’t that unbelievable?” a firefighter asked as he filmed the bird.
The amazing symbolism of the eagle landing on the ladder truck at that precise moment wasn’t lost on those observing the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.
“This eagle just landed on the aerial while we’re doing the 9/11 memorial. Phenomenal,” the firefighter who filmed it said with awe in his voice.
The bald eagle, fiercely beautiful and majestic, is a symbol of the country's strength, freedom and courage. It was aptly chosen as the emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, for just those qualities.
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