‘We have to remember’: Carmichaels among towns hosting 9/11 services
Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
Members of the Carmichaels and Cumberland Township Volunteer Fire Company salute during the 21-gun salute and playing of 无毛视频淭aps无毛视频� Monday morning, at the annual Service of Remembrance.
Director Joanna Walker leads the Carmichaels Area High School marching band in a moving rendition of 无毛视频淕od Bless America无毛视频� during the annual Service of Remembrance in Carmichaels Town Square Monday morning. (Photos by Katherine Mansfield)
Following the sounding of sirens at 8:46 a.m., American Legion Post 400 Band begins the annual Service of Remembrance in Carmichaels Town Square with the national anthem. Frank Ricco led the band. (Photos by Katherine Mansfield)
Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
Rices Landing Post 816 Riders applaud following the playing of 无毛视频淕od Bless America无毛视频� by Carmichaels Area High School marching band Monday morning. The Riders have attended the Service of Remembrance on 9/11 annually for years.
Former Greene County President Judge H. Terry Grimes delivers the keynote speech Monday morning during the annual Service of Remembrance in Carmichaels Town Square. The service was hosted by American Legion Post 400. (Photos by Katherine Mansfield)
Katherine Mansfield
Carmichaels residents and members of Rices Landing Post 816 Legion Riders stand as VFW Post 3491 and American Legion Post 400 perform the 21-gun salute and 无毛视频淭aps无毛视频� Monday morning during the annual 9/11 Service of Remembrance.
Katherine Mansfield
Mike Riggen, center left, performs the ringing of the bell in memory of those lives lost on 9/11 during the Service of Remembrance Monday morning at Carmichaels Town Square.
Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
American Legion Post 400 and VFW Post 3491 perform the 21-gun salute Monday morning during the annual 9/11 Service of Remembrance in Carmichaels.
Katherine Mansfield
Emma Bates, a sophomore at Carmichaels high school, delivers her American Legion contest-winning essay Monday morning during the annual Service of Remembrance in the town square.
news@greenecountymessenger.com
The Carmichaels Town Square was solemn Monday morning as residents, first responders and veterans gathered to observe the 22nd anniversary of 9/11.
People stood silently in the moments leading up to 8:46 a.m., when more than two decades ago American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and sirens sounded throughout town to mark the moment.
After an invocation by Pastor Jeff Hathaway and a rendition of the national anthem by American Legion Post 400 Band led by Frank Ricco, Bill Varesko, commander of Post 400, which hosted the Service of Remembrance, welcomed the crowd and introduced Emma Bates.
Bates, a sophomore at Carmichaels Area High School, is this year无毛视频檚 American Legion essay contest winner.
无毛视频淎merica has a remarkably short history,无毛视频� said Bates, who was not yet born when 9/11 occurred. 无毛视频淎merica broke away from its mother country, England, and worked from a small colonial settlement under another crown into what we consider day to be the greatest nation.无毛视频�
Bates stressed the importance of speaking up for what one believes in.
无毛视频淥ur American history is unique and gives each one of its citizens through the generations a place in its story, no matter our physical origins. Today, we are Americans, and that kind of patriotism is not based on blood or nationality, but on our combined story as the people who fought for liberty and will continue to fight for the liberty of all people, as long as we live,无毛视频� Bates said.
Retired Greene County President Judge H. Terry Grimes joked that 无毛视频渁fter hearing the essay by Miss Bates, there无毛视频檚 not much more left to say.无毛视频�
Grimes delivered the service无毛视频檚 keynote speech, during which he detailed the nation无毛视频檚 losses on 9/11, including 343 New York City firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers.
无毛视频淚t is with deep regret that we watched the news that morning and what was happening to our country: the first substantial foreign invasion on our country, and the most horrific death 无毛视频� and destruction that we无毛视频檝e witnessed in this country since the American Civil War,无毛视频� Grimes said. 无毛视频淎s we look back on that day, we really remember what those folks went through, those folks we无毛视频檙e here today to memorialize. We无毛视频檙e also here to commemorate the heroes from that day.无毛视频�
Grimes said it is America无毛视频檚 freedoms that make the country vulnerable but great, and stressed the importance of participating in our rights, including voting in every local and national election.
无毛视频淲e must ever be vigilant as a nation to ensure that we protect ourselves, that we protect one another, that we look to our community and law enforcement officials, appreciate what they do every day and give them our support,无毛视频� said Grimes.
Following Grimes无毛视频� speech, the Carmichaels Area High School Band, directed by Joanna Walker, launched into a rendition of 无毛视频淕od Bless America.无毛视频� Craig Baily of the Carmichaels Cumberland Fire Company read the Fireman无毛视频檚 Poem, and Mike Riggen rang the bell in memory of those lives lost on 9/11.
The Policeman无毛视频檚 Poem was delivered by Chief Bryan Smith, followed by 无毛视频淣earer My God to Thee,无毛视频� by the American Legion band.
Many in attendance shed tears during the 21-gun salute and 无毛视频淭aps,无毛视频� performed by Post 400 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3491.
Along with the American Legion, the VFW and Carmichaels high school band, Greensboro, Carmichaels-Cumberland and Nemacolin fire companies and the Greene County Sheriffs office were in attendance. Also in attendance was Rices Landing Post 816 Legion Riders, whose members attend the Carmichaels 9/11 memorial service annually.
After the terrorist attacks, 无毛视频測ou saw a flag on every building,无毛视频� said Ed DeBolt, a Marine Corps veteran who rides with the chapter.
无毛视频淲e have to remember. People forget too easily,无毛视频� said DeBolt.
Chapter President Jimmy Phillips, whose daughter Paige Phillips, the youngest Rices Landing rider, was his passenger, said it shouldn无毛视频檛 take a tragedy like 9/11 to bring Americans together.
Phillips, an Air Force veteran, served in Operation Desert Storm.
无毛视频淚 look back and it无毛视频檚 hard to believe it无毛视频檚 been 20 years,无毛视频� he said.