American Unity On Sept. 12 Recalled At 9/11 Ceremony
American Unity On Sept. 12 Recalled At 9/11 Ceremony
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
American Unity On Sept. 12 Recalled At 9/11 CeremonyOne day after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the country came together as one.
Twenty years later, many feel that the unity on Sept. 12, 2001, has been lost because of a myriad of factors. The 9/11 Remembrance ceremony Saturday in Warsaw, with the theme of “Remembering 9/11 – Celebrating the Spirit of Sept. 12,” asked Americans to recall that spirt of togetherness.
The 20th edition of the Kosciusko County 9/11 Memorial Remembrance Ceremony started with the presentation of colors by the Indiana Guard Reserve; the national anthem sung by Brad Kellar, Warsaw Police Department; and the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Boy Scout Troop 715.
After recognizing the people who participated in and worked to organize the ceremony and the parade that followed through downtown Warsaw, Planning Committee Chair Mike Cox said, “We’re gathered here today to remember the horrible acts and actions of Sept. 11, 2001. It was 19 terrorists who hijacked four airplanes with the intent to crash them into significant buildings in the U.S. and kill as many Americans as possible.”
Two of the planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third crashed into the Pentagon.
“In one of the most courageous acts I’ve ever heard of, the passengers of the fourth plane foiled the plans of the terrorists, but that plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa.,” Cox said.
On Sept. 11, nearly 3,000 people died and over 25,000 were injured. Since then, Cox said, more than 3,900 first responders, recovery workers and those injured in the attacks have died from illnesses and injuries suffered that day in the recovery efforts.
Additional human loss during the ensuing Operation Enduring Freedom is more than 2,300 military personnel killed and 20,000 injured, Cox said. “Further incalculable costs include the ongoing physical and mental trauma suffered by injured victims, first responders and their families,” Cox said. “Finally, as very recent activities in Afghanistan have shown, we and the world are not free of the scourge of radical terrorism that caused 9/11.
“These are the reasons why we must do as we promised on Sept. 12 and never forget,” Cox continued.
He said on Sept. 12, 2001, “this country stopped and we tried to grasp what had happened. In those hours, there grew a wave of patriotic expression across the country.”
People stood in long lines to donate blood. People talked to strangers, or to people they hadn’t talked to in a long time. Families called each other, and the government set out to find those responsible for the attacks, and people supported the government.
“Above all, we promised we would never forget,” Cox said. “Today, regrettably, we are a nation divided.”
He said America has become embroiled in turmoil that has destroyed the spirit of Sept. 12. Cox challenged everyone to try to restore that spirit “when we were all patriotic Americans.”
Featured keynote speaker Sgt. Chris Francis, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, said growing up, his heroes were public safety personnel and that’s not changed. Both of his grandfathers were veterans of the U.S. Army and police officers, and one also was a volunteer firefighter.
“At a young age, I knew my destiny,” Francis said, “idolizing individuals who answer to a higher calling, willing to selflessly risk their lives for a stranger.”
Whatever the reason may be, dispatchers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians “are here for us when tragedy occurs,” he said.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Francis was in his freshman year of college, taking his EMT course. He woke up to a radio cast reporting an event that he soon learned was the World Trade Center. Immediately, he turned on his television and witnessed the large inferno in places it didn’t belong. At 9:03 a.m., he watched as Flight 175 hit the south tower. In a matter of 17 minutes, Francis said, “Our country was forever changed. As the events transpired throughout the remainder of the day, I remained fixed in the news.”
Tragically that day, 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, eight EMTs and one NYC patrolman “answered their final call on Sept. 11, 2001,” he said.
“We have not forgotten, nor shall we. On Sept. 11, 2001, brave men and women geared up and rolled out as they were trained and sworn to do,” Francis said.
Unfortunately, he has been there when Kosciusko County has lost one off its own and is all too familiar with the reality that his career entails. He still believes in the American dream.
During the ceremony, WPD officer Jason Dobbins’ name was unveiled on the emergency services side of the memorial in front of the Center Lake Pavilion. As a tribute to his friend, Francis presented a check to Cox for reimbursement to the 9/11 Committee for what they had to pay to have Dobbins’ name engraved on the stone.
After Kellar sang Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” Johnny Butler, a member of the 9/11 Committee, spoke about the “Honor and Remember” and “Honor and Sacrifice” flags. The “Honor and Remember” flag exists because of the death of Spc. George Anthony “Tony” Lutz II, who was killed by a sniper’s bullet while he was on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. His dad, George Lutz Sr., as a grieving Gold Star father, “had to find out the hard way that while there are support groups for Gold Star families, we do not have a national recognition symbol of that to be a Gold Star family member. He created one, Honor and Remember,” Butler said.
It was launched Memorial Day in 2008 as a professional symbol of remembrance for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, he said. Butler then explained what each symbol on the Honor and Remember flag represents and where people can see the flag flying.
“We’re trying to get out the word that we never forget for those who died a selfless sacrifice,” Butler said.
Since 2008, the founders of Honor and Remember were asked what they could do for first responders who die in the line of duty. The Honor and Sacrifice flag was created and presented to the public five years ago on Sept. 11, 2016, Butler said.
“Even though many of those who have died may be former members of the military, those lives do not fall under the established criteria for Honor and Remember, which is, again, military service members who have died as a result of serving,” Butler explained.
Honor and Remember, in conjunction with public safety officials, thus designed the Honor and Sacrifice flag.
Three members of Jason Dobbins’ family then were called up to the stage by Butler, including Jason’s wife Kara, his mom Judy and his dad Ted. They were presented with special Honor and Sacrifice flags with Jason’s name and information on it by Francis and Kellar.
Ken Locke, 9/11 Committee member, offered brief remarks and a closing prayer.
The Indiana Guard made a 13-formation, honoring the lives of the last 13 Americans who lost their lives in Afghanistan, while also honoring the lives of those who lost their lives serving in the Middle East. That was followed by a 21-gun salute and Taps, played from the top of a fire truck.
The parade then followed, stopping at the war memorial at the county courthouse to honor those from Kosciusko County who had fallen in war. Special placards were displayed for the four men from the county who died in Afghanistan and Iraq, and another 21-gun salute was given at the memorial.
