Assistant Secretary Jeremiah Workman frames Sept. 11 tree planting as a tribute to resilience and service

Jeremiah Workman, Assistant Secretary for the Veterans Employment and Training Service, delivered remarks at a Department of Labor tree-planting ceremony to commemorate Sept. 11, saying the group had gathered "to remember 09/11/2001 and to do so through the simple act of planting a tree." He framed the sapling as a symbol of strength and renewal, likening the tree's growth to the country's recovery after the attacks.

Workman recalled his own experience as a Marine on Sept. 11 and said that, while training kept him from watching the events unfold on television, he had a "front row seat to our military's response." He also emphasized the role of civilian workers and government staff in recovery efforts, saying "America's workers in construction, transportation, and communications showed up to dig through the rubble" and that Department of Labor staff "jumped in to help wherever their skill set could be used best." He closed by urging attendees to remember both the losses of Sept. 11 and the service that followed.