Montgomery Woman Will Be Part of 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in New York

Linda Pasetti-Olson of Montgomery can remember every minute of the morning of September 11, 2001. She remembers feeling devastated, and knowing this would be a day she would never forget.

On Sunday the 11th, the 10th anniversary of the attacks, Pasetti-Olson will finally get to pay tribute to the men and women who lost their lives on that day. She’ll be part of a motorcycle brigade that escorts firefighters to Ground Zero for the memorial service.

Pasetti-Olson, a retired IT specialist, is a member of the Motor Maids, the first and oldest women’s motorcycling organization in the country. The Motor Maids will ride alongside members of the International Association of Firefighters, as they make their way to the memorial.

“I am over the moon,” she said. “I never thought I would get to see the memorial.”

Pasetti-Olson, who has been riding motorcycles for 17 years, has never been to New York. But the pull of September 11 was too much for her to resist. It was a day that changed and shaped our country, and she said the chance to pay her respects is simply incredible.

“The honor of going to the memorial is amazing to me,” she said.

And Pasetti-Olson has agreed to send us dispatches from the road, detailing her journey and her perspective on the memorial ceremony. You'll be able to follow that on Patch next week. Look for a more in-depth interview with Pasetti-Olson on Monday, and emails from the road throughout the week.

If you would like to share your memories of Sept. 11, 2001, and how that day changed your life, please email Andre Salles at andre.salles@patch.com, or leave your story in the comments below.