It was 2010 and Barack Obama was in the White House as the 44th president of the United States.

That same year, Donald Carcieri occupied the Executive Office at the Rhode Island State House as the state’s 73rd Governor.

Also, back on January 27, 2010, Ava Bajakian – who Sunday shared the spotlight with Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi for the 21st 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the Oakland Beach Memorial Monument -- was born.

During an emotion-pitched ceremony that attracted nearly 200 people, Warwick paid tribute to those who lost their lives during the deadliest attack on United States soil, and it was Bajakian, 12, who wrote and recited a poem then assisted Mayor Picozzi with placing a wreath on the memorial.

“She captured the hearts of everyone here,” many people told Warwick Councilwoman Donna Travis who represents Oakland Beach and is the talented 12-year-olds grandmother.

Thus, Bajakian – a seventh grade student at Warwick Veterans Memorial Middle School – shared the poem she found on the internet  with the Warwick Beacon and it read, as follows:

“We will think of you on this day of prayer, as our Flag is raised high, To honor those who have fallen, to quietly say goodbye;

Memories last forever, No mater what comes our way, So let’s all take a moment of silence, To remember what we lost that day;

Stunned faces, pumping hearts, astonished looks we gave, As our world came together as one, As we all tried to save;

The Firefighter’s mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, And strangers we never met, met, Our hands of dust have symbolized, You, we will never forget, Let’s close our eyes and say a prayer, look into the heavens above, There you find the angels flying our angels to love.

Meanwhile, Mayor Picozzi – who was one of five speakers including emcee and State Rep. Camille Vella- Wilkinson – delivered an impressive and inspirational speech as did Ground Zero Survivor/School Committee Chair Judy Cobden, Army Veteran Sal Caiozzo and Rev. Robert Marciano who gave the invocation and benediction.

Picozzi began his remembrance saying: “On September 11, 2001, the United States of America suffered a cowardly terrorist attack. We watched in shock as the events unfolded and nearly 3,000 innocent children, women and men were murdered in New York City, Washington D.C. and Shanksville, PA.

It’s a date in history that most of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we first got the news.

We all felt shock, sadness, fear and anger, the events of that day are indelibly etched in my mind. The planes crashing into the towers, the towers collapsing, the parked fire trucks and police cars whose drivers and passengers were not returning, But for me there is also a different memory that will never fade. The people of this country came together. We all tempered our personal political philosophical and religious opinions to come together and demonstrate strength and patriotism. We inspired the rest of the word. American flags could be seen everywhere.

We will never forget 9/11 and must never relent in helping future generations understand the lessons of patriotism that grew out of 9/11 – that all of us, despite our individual and varied political opinions – can live out of love for our country during a tragedy and we should every day, every day.”

Sunday’s solemn ceremony featured color guards from Warwick’s Police and Fire Departments, pledge of allegiance, singing the national anthem and God Bless America and it closed with the playing of taps by Warwick School Committee member Nathan Cornell.

Perhaps the most moving moment came when Mayor Picozzi and Bajakian were called upon to place the red, white and blue wreath at the monument and Daniel Evangelista read the names of Shawn M. Nassaney, Lynn Goodchild, Amy Jarret, David Angell, Carol Bouchard, James E. Hayden, Renee Tetreault and Mark Charette as Air Force Col. Kim Keller planted a flag into the garden to honor each of the Warwick 9/11 victims.