Moorpark Man Recalls Post 9/11 Trip Through America

As horrific and tragic as the Sept. 11, 2001 events were, Moorpark resident Dan Borunda believes something good came of them. On a road trip through America’s heartland following the terrorist attacks, he saw what he calls “a true United States.”

He saw people from all walks of life hugging one another and sharing and wanting to comfort and help others.

Beginning of the journey

His journey started in Simi Valley, where shortly after the attacks, he and his colleagues mounted foam core boards outside his workplace and encouraged people to share their feelings on them and pay tribute to the rescue workers who risked their lives to help others.

And people did.

In fact, people started coming not just from Simi, but Moorpark, Thousand Oaks and even Ventura.

“When I started to read what people were writing and seeing people pouring in from all over the county, I saw this was far bigger than I first thought,” Borunda said.

That’s when he realized how cathartic his project could be for people.

“They wanted to share their pain and their desire to say thank you to those firefighters,” he said.

And he started thinking about taking the panels to the East Coast, stopping along the way to have other Americans add their messages.

“I felt like, ‘You know what, let’s take this across the country and see if the nation feels the way we do,’” he said.

Hitting the road

With the help of some local businesses like Avis, which donated the use of a minivan for the trip, Borunda and his son, Nathan, hit the road, armed with 32-inch by 40-inch red, white and blue foam core panels. Originally there were three outside the Simi business, then six and then nine. Borunda brought these along with an additional 18 to be written upon.

The father and son team mapped out a route with the intention of hitting some specific spots.

“I felt like I really wanted to cut right through the heartland. I felt like one of the critical states was Oklahoma because of what had happened there,” he said.

Then they started on what they call the Voices of America project (the project will have its own website at www.voicesofamerica911.com beginning in October).

Wherever they went, media cameras would show up and people were eager to sign the panels.

“People were so ready to pour their hearts out … I realized this was going to be no ordinary trip. They wanted to share their pain and to say thank you to those firefighters,” Borunda said.

The messages

He said some of the most moving comments for him were those that tied faith and God to America, comments like the one signed by the Williams family of Simi Valley:

“I praise the Lord for giving you all the strength you need to endure such times as these and I thank you all for your willingness to perform your duties above and beyond. May you know and seek the Lord’s ways and He will continue to bless you all! Our prayers are with you. X, O.”

Other moving messages for Borunda were those in which firefighters wrote to their “brothers” and “things that were written by kids that were profound beyond their years,” he said.

“I remember these kids who would outline their hand and then turn to their mom and ask, ‘How do you spell hero,’ ” he said.

Borunda said the trip gave him a deep sense of patriotism.

“It really helped me fall in love again with this country. I also realized the price we pay for freedom,” he said. “I felt for me, it was an awakening. I was proud to be American again—on a deep level—more than just saying the Pledge of Allegiance.”

He’s hoping that showing the panels on the 10-year anniversary of the attacks will bring people back to that feeling of unity. He’s kept all 27 panels in storage for a long time because, though he believes it was something the nation really needed at the time, they also needed a respite from thinking about the tragedies.

“I think people were really done with it for a while. They needed time to get past it and deal with it. Now that the anniversary is here, I think they’re ready to deal with it again,” he said.

To that end, he’ll be displaying Voices of America at a 9/11 memorial event in Los Angeles taking place from 9 to 10 a.m. Sept. 11 at the Frank Hotchkins Memorial Training Center, 1700 Stadium Way. He’s hoping to find additional venues to show the panels as well before he sends them to the East Coast to be a part of the New York City memorial. Those interested in providing a venue can reach Borunda at dan.voatributes@gmail.com.

Though he saw sparks of unity come from the tragedies, Borunda is disappointed with the current state of America.

“Of course, things have changed again. I’m very sad to see us drifting apart again as a country,” he said.

But he knows it doesn’t have to be that way.

“I saw the hope of it,” he said. “I saw the hope is there and it’s going to take people putting aside their differences. I’m hoping. I’m hoping.”

Following are some of the messages written by people across the country on the Voices of America panels:

Thank you for giving us all hope. (No signature)

Where does one begin to thank you for your sacrifice and devotion? Our children and grandchildren now have real super heroes! God bless you and watch over you forever and always. My love and admiration,—Chris Monteverde, Flagstaff, AZ

America has shown to be truly beautiful with the support of all our brave men and women. Please keep standing tall and proud. Never give up hope for a better tomorrow—Melissa L. Pfohl, Cincinnati, OH.

Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called children of God. Thank you on behalf of the state of Californiaand the city of Moorpark. God bless. —Pepper Dewberry, LAPD

We are all afraid, but you brave men and women put our minds at ease and our fears to rest. Forget Batman, Spiderman and Wonder Woman; You are America’s true super heroes. We love you all.—Jennica Willingham, Woodland Hills, CA

Your strength and your bravery make me proud to be American. God bless you and your families.—John Holland, Phoenix, AZ.

Without the strength of you few, the lives of so many would be poorer by far. (No signature)