Houston County Marks 23 Years Since 9

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY – Anyone alive at the time can still remember well, where they were when they heard the news that Sept. 11, 2001. America was under attack. It almost seems like a dream, looking back over so many years – the fear, the anger, the uncertainty – a mix of emotions unknown since the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Seeing the planes crash into the World Trade Center was heartbreaking enough, but to then watch the news coverage as more information slowly dripped out, was many times worse. It was learned that rescue and firefighters were climbing all those dark stairs, even as the buildings were about to collapse. The thoughts of how many thousands could be trapped in those buildings that Tuesday morning, and the terrible last moments the pilots, crew and passengers must have faced.

Word came, and shortly after, the confirmation that the Pentagon – the very heart of the nation's defense complex had been hit too, sending an arrow directly into the county and the men and women who wore the uniform.

More news and all bad, as millions tried in vain to connect to loved ones, over a straining phone network which would soon give out altogether. Another plane down, this time in a field near Camp David. We wouldn't know the story of the heroism which led that plane down, far from any target, but say the words, "Let's Roll" and everyone knows the tale of the little group of brave passengers who sacrificed their lives.

One tower collapsed, then the second – the skyline of the nation's feature metropolis changed forever. There was so much news and so many updates, cable new channels began putting a rolling text along the bottom of the screen – a practice which continues to this day.

The images of smoke barreling through the Big Apple, the 911 calls, the sight of people preferring to jump instead of being consumed by the fires raging in the buildings – it all seemed more Hollywood summer blockbuster than real life.

Something changed that day in the country, and those of us who were there would never forget it. The next several months and even years were like a Norman Rockwell painting. People stopped and talked on the street. You wondered how your neighbors were doing. Parents called kids and young people reconnected to family. It was a feeling close to Christmas morning, only born in tragedy and sustained by a common foe. For a while, we were the country we always wanted, and perhaps knew we could be. Political parties didn't matter – the people who attacked us never asked whether their victims supported blue or red.

Americans, however, themselves began to see red. We wanted justice for the people who committed this terrible atrocity. We would not negotiate, not settle and not forget, until we found those responsible and reminded them, "this big dog will fight when you rattle its cage."

Each year since, communities have come together to commemorate that day, along with its heroes and victims. Many wish the country could find that unity we held in the days after the attacks. In hindsight, some of the legacy of that day are considered to be overreaches by the government, including restrictions on travel and listening in to Americans' conversations.

Houston County, too, took a moment to remember that day, as dozens gathered in Davy Crockett Park in Crockett to remember, to pray, to join as one and be thankful for the blessings and freedoms we enjoy.

Pastor Darryl Bennet gave a moving prayer, before a proclamation was read by Crockett Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher. Jason Frizzell and Crockett Fire Department rang a lonely bell, in remembrance of Sept. 11, the light drizzle a subtle symbol of the tears shed for those who gave their lives.

"Things happen, things that appear to be out of our control," Fisher said. "But as Pastor Bennett said earlier, 'God is still in control,' and how blessed we are to be American citizens and to share and remember this awesome occasion that impacted our lives in so many ways."

First responders and county officials unveiled a massive American flag and James Jellum from the American Legion played the somber notes of "Taps" on his bugle. Local student Noelia Sheppard graced the crowd with her rendition of the national anthem and later, "Amazing Grace."

Latexo Elementary Student Luna Hayes proved a little too shy to lead the crowd in the pledge of allegiance, but no matter, everyone knew the words and were proud to see the "flag was still there."

Bronze Star Recipient Milton Lanier thanked the veterans he saw in the crowd. Houston County Judge Jim Lovell remembered the thousands dead and how the country had pulled together after the attacks.

"We still feel the loss today, and we remember them and the thousands more who suffered injuries and are still suffering injuries and sickness," Lovell said. "We remember them with a heavy heart. This attack was pure evil, and it was performed by cowards. It was designed to threaten our way of life and tear apart the very fabric of our nation."

Houston County Sheriff Randy Hargrove said one way to honor the victims of 9/11 is to recognize the country was not prepared for those attacks. He warned the country now faces threats just as real, and should learn the lesson to prepare for them.

"It is very important to honor those people with ceremonies and to never forget. But if that's all we do, and we don't prepare ourselves, we are setting ourselves up for another big catastrophe," Hargrove said. "We need to be ready and we need people who are ready."

Hargrove spoke not only about the threat of terrorism and war, but about the threat coming across the country's borders, noting more than 30,000 Chinese men of fighting age had recently come through the nation's border.

The ceremony continued at the Moosehead Cafe, where there was a moving poem by Karen Rice, a video of the footage from 9/11 and an opportunity for everyone to remember how they experienced that day, one which will no doubt live in infamy.