US AMBASSADOR Jeffrey Bleich will dust off his sneakers and take part in The Canberra Times Fun Run to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Mr Bleich told the Sunday Canberra Times that building community spirit, such as taking part in the fun run, was the best way to honour those lost in the worst attack on United States soil since Pearl Harbour.
The US embassy will mark the occasion with a series of community events, including tree plantings at the National Arboretum, the fun run and a memorial service at Commonwealth Park.
INTERACTIVE: Track the planes' fatal flights and see our September 11 photo galleries
TEN YEARS ON: Special Forum lift out
''That's the most important tribute we can give to those who perished, which is not withdraw, which is what the terrorists wanted,'' Mr Bleich said.
''But rather to get out even more into the community, and give more, do the things that make us most proud.
''Americans will be out there with their Aussie mates doing things for the Canberra community [today].''
Nor has the United States become more introspective in its approach to world affairs, as those responsible for the four coordinated suicide attacks intended, Mr Bleich said.
Mr Bleich said the rise of social media had broken down communication barriers and had been a force for good in the fight against terrorism.
''One of the goals for terrorists was for the US to retreat from parts of the world, to be afraid to get in aeroplanes and travel to work with other nations,'' he said.
''In the 10 years since then we've invented the biggest way of connecting with the world in history, which is social media. [Social media is] connecting us in unprecedented ways [and] there wasn't anything like that before September 11.''
Mr Bleich still remembers clearly the moment the jets plunged into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York.
The subsequent shut down of the aviation industry left him stranded in Arizona.
He managed to hire a car for the drive home to California, travelling through Nevada on the way.
''I was on the road most of the evening of September 11 and all day September 12,'' he said.
''I stopped along the way and got to see a lot of America's reaction to [the attacks].''
While a lot has happened in the decade since, the father of three admits the wounds are still feel fresh.
''It still feels like it happened very recently,'' he said.
''Any traumatic event, whether it's Pearl Harbour or the bombing of Darwin, when your security at home is attacked in a surprise and violent way, you never quite get over it.
''But hopefully you take that experience and try to be better people from it, as opposed to letting the people that attacked you get what they wanted.''
Mr Bleich will join Prime Minister Julia Gillard in a public ceremony this afternoon.
The twilight ceremony, on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin, will feature a flag party of Australian Federal Police and US Marine Corps representatives, the AFP pipe and drums band and the Duntroon band.
.gif)
