Residents Express Gratitude, Caution, Relief to News of Bin Laden's Death

A day after the jubilation that erupted following the startlingly announcement that American forces had captured and killed Osama Bin Laden, the mood in Manchester Monday was subdued, cautious and relieved.

When President Barack Obama went on the airwaves at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday night to announce the news, spontaneous celebrations and acts of patriotism broke out across the nation that lasted well into the early hours of Monday morning. But by 9 a.m. Monday in Manchester it was very much business as usual, with most folks seemingly more concerned about their morning commute than the previous night’s momentous announcement. Maybe American flags were a little more visible Monday, and many seemed to have a bit more bounce in their step, but there were no signs or makeshift monuments to mark the occasion visible anywhere in the downtown area as of Monday afternoon.

Residents said they were grateful, relieved or satisfied by the news, but most interviewed stressed that it would not bring back the nearly 3,000 victims who lost their lives as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2011, or the countless families whose lives have been forever altered by that tragedy or the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan that have occurred since.

Police Chief Marc Montminy described the announcement of Bin Laden’s death as “a long time coming,” but added that he felt the community needed to remain vigilant in the coming weeks and months out of fear of possible reprisal.

“I think being as close to New York City as we are, we have an obligation to be vigilant,” said Montminy, adding that the Manchester Police Department discussed the issue with its officers in a series of briefings Monday and were asking residents to be aware of and report any suspicious activities.

The news was certainly welcome to James Deere, a 17-year veteran of the Manchester Fire Department whose stepson’s uncle, Raymond Meisenheimer, was a first responder to the World Trade Center on September 11 and lost his life that day. Deere said he was so affected by the events that day that he traveled down to New York City early the next morning and spent 18 hours sifting through the rubble with New York City firefighters looking for remains or survivors.

“It was about time,” Deere said. “I was excited when I heard the news that we had done what we needed to do. I was pretty angry when I was down there that day.”

When asked how he felt Monday, Deere said the news was “a big relief for me.”

“I have a lot of family and friends in the military,” Deere said. “…It was like a huge relief. All those guys that were killed over there in vain are not anymore.”

Mayor Louis Spadaccini said he was up late working Sunday night and did not hear the news of Bin Laden’s death until Monday morning, but that he was glad to hear it and gave credit to the many Manchester residents who have answered the call to fight in the War on Terror in the years since September 11, 2001.

“There’s definitely some happiness that a very long journey has at least reached a symbolic end,” Spadaccini said. “But as the police chief said, we still have to remain vigilant and they’ll still be terrorists. A lot of people from this area were affected by 9/11.”