The community reflected on the 13th anniversary of 9/11 through prayer, song and speeches during a ceremony Thursday night in Central Park. Kosciusko County 9/11 Remembrance Committee sponsored the event at the 9/11 memorial outside Center Lake Pavilion. Mike Cox and Cathy Reed were 9/11 committee co-chairs. Cox said he regularly reviews intelligence reports of the attempted terrorist attacks from all over the world, and there have been many attempts in the U.S.A. “Some failed because of faulty mechanisms or ineptitude. Others were discovered by law enforcement and broken up,” Cox said. He said one example was that the Boston Bombing was quickly solved. Cox brought attention to the 9/11 monument outside Center Lake Pavilion. It honors local county emergency services workers who have died in the line of duty including firefighter Harold Shepler, deputy Joseph Bauer; detective Phil Hochstetler; trooper Jason Beal and deputy Sgt. Jeff Shaw. Joel Beam, Warsaw Police Department lieutenant, provided the prayer. Indiana Guard Reserve presented the colors and Warsaw Boy Scout Troop 715 led attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance. Ed Rock, Kosciusko County Emergency Management Services director, sang “The Star Spangled Banner”; Brad Kellar, Warsaw Police Department detective, sang “God Bless The USA”; and Bryce Lippe, Warsaw Community High School student, sang “Where Were You.” The Battle Of The Badges winner was announced. Those who donated blood to the Red Cross had the opportunity to donate blood this summer in honor of local police, fire and EMS. All Kosciusko County fire departments were the winner, receiving the most votes and were honored with a plaque. Aaron Bolinger, Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Department battalion chief, accepted the plaque. Bob Conley, Kosciusko County commissioner, and James Marshall, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department deputy, gave speeches. “Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives during the heinous terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City, the field in Shanksville, Pa., where the flight crashed and the Pentagon in Washington D.C.,” Conley said. Conley said police and fire personnel don’t run from disaster, but run to disaster and don’t hesitate. He said he discussed with residents how 9/11 has affected them, and a resident told him if it can happen in Pennsylvania, New York or Washington, D.C., it can happen anywhere. Marshall spoke about what 9/11 means to him as a law enforcement officer. He is an Army veteran who served from 1994 to 2003. He enlisted in the Army in 1993. He was then promoted to sergeant in 2002, and went to Iraq in 2003. Marshall said he watched news coverage of the anniversary of 9/11 this week. “Those scenes are why I do what I do today,” Marshall said. He said when 9/11 occurred he was in the military and served in Iraq. “September 11 was the reason I do what I do today because of those images, and the anger and all the different emotions I felt that day,” Marshall said. He said he remembers one of his biggest concerns when he served in Iraq was making sure families back home were taken care of. He said he got home and took off his Army uniform, and put on the sheriff’s uniform. “My career has revolved around preparing for when evil comes knocking again,” Marshall said. “There is evil and hatred in the world for America, our lifestyle and the things that we believe in and we have to be prepared for it.” Meredith Perks, regional director for U.S. Senator Joe Donnelley, attended the ceremony and read a letter on behalf of Donnelley. Ken Locke, 9/11 committee member, led attendees in a moment of silence, and prayer. Local and state law enforcement, and fire and EMS personnel attended the ceremony with their apparatus. Departments represented included Plain Township, Mentone, Pierceton, Winona Lake, Claypool, Silver Lake and Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Departments; Mentone, Warsaw and Milford police departments and Indiana State Police Department; Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department and Multi Township EMS. Those who attended had the opportunity to purchase 9/11 bracelets with proceeds going to the 9/11 fund to help with upkeep of the memorial and for next year’s program. Maple Avenue Florists sold flowers for the stage at a discounted rate. 9/11 Committee members were Cox and his wife, Pat; Cathy and Ryan Reed; Cindy Justice; Locke; Deb, Austin and Michael Miotto; Sarah Goshert and Conner Klosowski.
