libertybill:

America’s Response Monument

“De Oppresso Liber”

(“Liberate the Oppressed,” motto, U.S. Army Special Forces)

Within hours of the cowardly attacks of September 11, 2001,
America’s Special Operations Forces were called to action, formulating
an unconventional warfare response to the acts of terrorism inflicted on
our country. Not since the patriots’ actions of Concord and Lexington
in our Revolution has first priority been given to such an
unconventional approach. The force of choice, eventually known as Task
Force Dagger, was a multiservice, inter-agency task force built
primarily around the Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces Group. Key
to the task force’s success was a partnership formed between Army
Special Operations and civilian professionals brought together to
accomplish their assigned mission: destroy the Taliban regime and deny
Afghanistan as a sanctuary for Al Qaeda. On the night of October 19,
2001, braving severe weather conditions and a ruthless enemy, the “A”
Teams of the 5th Special Forces Group began infiltrating throughout
Afghanistan. Helicopter infiltration and fire support was provided by
the world’s finest helicopter aviators, the “Nightstalkers” of the
Army’s 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment. Operating together
with their CIA counterparts and Air Force combat controllers, the teams
made contact with the various ethnic indigenous forces still holding out
against the Taliban regime. Collectively, these integrated “A” Teams
fought heroically under incredibly dangerous and austere conditions
alongside their Afghan counterparts and accomplished what so many
said could not be done … overthrowing the Taliban regime in that most
dangerous of countries, Afghanistan. America’s Response Monument, “De
Oppresso Liber,” features a Special Forces soldier representative of the
many operational detachments “A” who operated across Afghanistan. Some
of these A-Teams uniquely fought mounted on horseback alongside their
Uzbek counterparts, successfully blending both ancient and 21st century
state of the art methods of warfare against our enemies. These
operators, informally referred to as “Horse Soldiers” or “Afghan Mounted
Rifles,” were the first Americans to fight on horseback in over 50
years. This image was selected because it typifies the courage,
adaptability and resourcefulness that are the hallmarks of America’s
Special Operations community. The steel girder protruding from beneath
the rocks is an actual piece of the World Trade Center Towers and as
such is considered a national treasure. It symbolizes the connection
between the events of 9/11 and the actions of the Special
Operations heroes this monument honors. You are welcome and encouraged
to touch it. This monument is intended to honor the incredible courage,
initiative, and resourcefulness of all members of all branches of the
armed forces who went and fought the battle of 9/11. It recognizes all
of the men of Special Forces, all the great men and women of our joint
Special Operations Forces, the intrepid officers of the Central
Intelligence Agency and the entire inter-agency teams whose dedication,
courage and commitment to the people of the United States of America
were called upon in those terrible early days following the attacks of
9/11 to bring justice to those who would attack us. This monument serves
as a most grateful recognition by the American people of their
extraordinary service and sacrifice.