Krista Salvatore was 22-years-old on September 11, 2001. In New York for training with Morgan Stanley, she witnessed the first plane hit the neighboring tower, which blew the windows out of her training room, leaving the smell of jet fuel and the view of a fiery ticker-tape parade as paper floated down the sky. Today Krista stood before 30 volunteers on Sunday, July 18, 2021, and shared the story of her survival working on the 61st floor of WTC 2 on that tragic day. Full of grace and gratitude, she emphasized why joining the Pace Properties Flags of Valor team was vital. She said, “For me, I think about it every day. We all said never forget, and the Flags of Valor display is very, very humbling.” “It’s important to remember the lives lost and the troops that protect us from another 9/11.”
and 9/11 Survivor Krista Salvatore
“My son’s name was Matthew,” was proudly said by Gold Star Mother Heather Wooderson as she introduced the Pace Properties flag team to her son so they could hear his story and how he served his country. He played football in high school and wanted to be a teacher and coach when his enlistment was complete, but instead, he died a hero. Matthew is one of 7,500 that laid their lives on the line for the freedom and safety of Krista and the millions of others who experienced that dark day in American history.
While Pace Properties is a founding member of Flags of Valor, each new memorial brings new team members and their families. After hearing Krista and Heather’s stories, the impact of assembling the flags drives home the mission of honoring every soldier who has fought for our freedom and pays tribute to those that made the ultimate sacrifice. At the end of the day, we’re here to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11 and first responders and honor the service members who bravely defended our nation in the War on Terror.
