'Monumental Talks’ observance marks 9/11 anniversary in Mukilteo

Lia Tetreault didn’t know if she would survive the day. Hiding under an old woman’s porch, she heard the soldiers going door-to-door, asking residents if they were sheltering any students.

It was 1980 in South Korea, then ruled by a military dictatorship. Tetreault and thousands of other students had been demonstrating in the city of Gwangju, demanding the country move to democracy and freedom.

Energized and hopeful during the peaceful gathering, the demonstrators’ mood darkened when soldiers began arriving. First they surrounded the demonstrators, then they started moving against them, hitting them and, finally, shooting them. Tetreault and other students scattered.

As one of the demonstration’s organizers, Tetreault had reason to fear for her life. The authoritarian regime, characterized by repression and violence, did not harbor political dissent. The brutal crackdown that day, which became known as the Gwangju Uprising, was considered the beginning of the end for the dictatorship. By 1987, South Korea had transitioned to democracy.

Now living in America and operating a convenience store on Mukilteo’s border, Tetreault will tell her compelling story about the cost of freedom on Thursday, Sept. 11, as part of the second annual “Monumental Talks” program that celebrates America’s freedom, but emphasizes achieving it isn’t free. (See story about Lia Tetreault here.)

Organized, directed and produced by renowned Snohomish County neurosurgeon Dr. Sanford Wright, “Monumental Talks” is both a celebration and a civics lesson, tied, on purpose, to the 9/11 terrorists’ attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The program will feature haunting stories like Lia Tetreault’s, and uplifting, patriotic entertainment designed to delight and inspire all ages.
The program’s theme this year, “Freedom and Family,” draws a line from Roland Hartley, immigrant, lumber baron, Everett mayor and Washington governor, to today, Dr. Wright said.

In 1983, Wright bought and began restoring the historic Hartley mansion in Everett. A year later, Edward Hartley Anderson, Roland Hartley’s great grandson, gifted the family’s photo collection to the mansion.

For 41 years, Wright said he looked at that collection on the mansion walls, including a Hartley family portrait, nearly every day. And as he learned more about the life of Roland Hartley, the idea for a celebration of America’s freedoms began to jell.

“WIthout this photographic collection, ‘Monumental Talks’ would never exist,” Wright said. “There would be no 9/11 event.”

The Hartley family portrait includes sons David and Edward who, shortly after it was taken, went off to fight for America in World War I. Days later, Roland Hartley himself signed up for the Washington State National Guard.

“How many 53-year-old men like that would sign up for the National Guard and potentially give their life?” Wright wondered. “And we have to ask ourselves, why would he do it? And I think the answer is because he was an immigrant, and he recognized that the opportunities that he had in life were granted to him by American freedom.

“And he was smart enough to understand that American freedom has a cost, and if you want to hold on to that freedom, you have to pay the cost.”

Besides Tetreault, the program will feature other speakers sharing what they’ve learned about the cost of freedom. Among them is Karina Choe, another South Korean immigrant who will share an equally harrowing story about her family’s fight for freedom and the miraculous event that saved her father during the Korean War.

Another speaker is Lt. Col. Dan Matthews, Ret., of Mukilteo, who as a former military and civilian pilot, has a unique perspective on the 9/11 tragedy.
After hearing Matthews speak at this year’s Memorial Day ceremony in Everett, Dr. Wright approached him about the “Monumental Talks” program.

Matthews will share his insights on that national tragedy as well as the changes it brought about in the airline industry, such as enhanced, restricted cockpits, and arming pilots and co-pilots, among other safety enhancements.

“We never suspected,” Matthews said of the terrorists. “Our paradigm was to cooperate with hijackers. In fact, we never suspected that they would use the planes as missiles.

“Now that we know, of course, never again.”

But Matthews also suggested that Wright consider a student essay contest. Noting that high school students weren’t alive on 9/11, Matthews thought it was a teachable moment opportunity to help them understand the monumental changes it brought to life in America and its freedoms.

Still open to Snohomish County high school students, submissions could include original essay, poem, music or art. (No outside help or AI tools allowed.) Rules are at hartleymansion.com, with a Nov. 5 deadline. The winner will be announced at the program, and will receive $1,500.

Other speakers include Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin. Some of Roland Hartley’s descendants will also be participating.

Master of Ceremonies for the second year is Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine, who said the country needs to remember the value of working for its freedom and honoring those who fought and died for it.

“I am surprised there aren’t more events remembering 9/11,” Marine said. “I believe many people take our freedoms for granted. Many in our history have paid the ultimate price to give us the freedoms we have today.”

Like everyone old enough, Marine remembers where he was on 9/11. Sitting in a coffee shop, he and others heard about the first plane hitting the North Tower.

“I thought it was a horrible accident,” he said. “Shortly after that second plane hit, we all immediately knew it was a terrorist attack.”

Disappointed there aren’t more 9/11 observances, he’s honored to be a part of “Monumental Talks,” and encourages others to not only remember, but act.

“My hope for all is to actively engage in your community. Get to know others, make friends and help to mold the city into a place all are proud to call home.

“What an awesome country we would have if everyone did.”

The program will also include a variety of patriotic performances, including composer and pianist Dehner Franks, singer Monet Pelluer, Seattle Theatre Group musical director Jack Klitzman, Lee Matthews and the Freedom Choir, and the Dorothy Jayne Dancers.

Tickets are $25, although some complimentary tickets are available. “Monumental Talks” takes place from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Everett Civic Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 11. For more information, go to www.hartleymansion.com.