‘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 鈥淭aps鈥� Monday morning, at the annual Service of Remembrance.
Director Joanna Walker leads the Carmichaels Area High School marching band in a moving rendition of 鈥淕od Bless America鈥� 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 鈥淕od Bless America鈥� 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 鈥淭aps鈥� 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.
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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鈥檚 American Legion essay contest winner.
鈥淎merica has a remarkably short history,鈥� said Bates, who was not yet born when 9/11 occurred. 鈥淎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.鈥�
Bates stressed the importance of speaking up for what one believes in.
鈥淥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,鈥� Bates said.
Retired Greene County President Judge H. Terry Grimes joked that 鈥渁fter hearing the essay by Miss Bates, there鈥檚 not much more left to say.鈥�
Grimes delivered the service鈥檚 keynote speech, during which he detailed the nation鈥檚 losses on 9/11, including 343 New York City firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers.
鈥淚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 鈥� and destruction that we鈥檝e witnessed in this country since the American Civil War,鈥� Grimes said. 鈥淎s we look back on that day, we really remember what those folks went through, those folks we鈥檙e here today to memorialize. We鈥檙e also here to commemorate the heroes from that day.鈥�
Grimes said it is America鈥檚 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.
鈥淲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,鈥� said Grimes.
Following Grimes鈥� speech, the Carmichaels Area High School Band, directed by Joanna Walker, launched into a rendition of 鈥淕od Bless America.鈥� Craig Baily of the Carmichaels Cumberland Fire Company read the Fireman鈥檚 Poem, and Mike Riggen rang the bell in memory of those lives lost on 9/11.
The Policeman鈥檚 Poem was delivered by Chief Bryan Smith, followed by 鈥淣earer My God to Thee,鈥� by the American Legion band.
Many in attendance shed tears during the 21-gun salute and 鈥淭aps,鈥� 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, 鈥測ou saw a flag on every building,鈥� said Ed DeBolt, a Marine Corps veteran who rides with the chapter.
鈥淲e have to remember. People forget too easily,鈥� said DeBolt.
Chapter President Jimmy Phillips, whose daughter Paige Phillips, the youngest Rices Landing rider, was his passenger, said it shouldn鈥檛 take a tragedy like 9/11 to bring Americans together.
Phillips, an Air Force veteran, served in Operation Desert Storm.
鈥淚 look back and it鈥檚 hard to believe it鈥檚 been 20 years,鈥� he said.