Community organizations and residents gathered at the Warren County Tribute to Veterans Memorial on the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11 to honor the memory of the American …
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Community organizations and residents gathered at the Warren County Tribute to Veterans Memorial on the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11 to honor the memory of the American citizens and emergency responders who lost their lives.
The Prairie View 4-H Club and Warren County 4-H Council partnered with the Tribute to Veterans Memorial Committee to organize and host the event, which featured youth speakers, as well as comments from community leaders and military veterans.
Escorted by Warren County first responders, 4-H members, their families, and other community members walked from the Shoppes at Warrenton to the memorial site, located at Market Street and Veterans Memorial Parkway.
A recurring theme of the day’s speakers was honoring the memory of the past and drawing a bridge to its impact on the present.
“I was not born yet, but I have seen the effects (9/11) has on our country,” said Prairie View 4-H Club member Maddie Dent. “It has made us Americans stand together and come together in so many ways.”
Dent recounted the age of those lost in the 9/11 attacks as 2 through 85, a figure reflected in the makeup of the citizens attending the ceremony that day.
“We named this project ‘We Remember’ because we want to never forget any of these innocent people who lost their lives in this ugly act of terrorism,” Dent said.
The Warren County 4-H Council and Prairie View 4-H Club raised funds to purchase and donate eight flags to the Tribute to Veterans Memorial. Flags at the memorial site need to be replaced about twice per year and include an American flag, as well as flags of the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Merchant Marines, Coast Guard, and POW/MIA.
Warren County Fair Queen Ashley Pullen helped emcee the memorial walk and ceremony, which also received support from the Warrenton FFA, Warren County Boy Scouts, and a number of local businesses. Additional participants included Warren County Commissioner Joe Gildehaus and performers Taylor Duncan, Shelbi Tittel, and Doralynn Lee.
“The events of September 11, 2011, will live forever in our memories,” said military veteran and retired police officer Gary Ruebling. “As I look back, I wonder what we stood for in those early morning hours 20 years ago and what we stand for today.”
“We are a nation that went from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to Tranquility Base on the moon in less than 70 years,” said Reubling. “With our diversity comes strength as a nation. We represent the freedom that so many people on this earth seek.”
