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WVU-P marks Sept. 11 with remembrance ceremony

Mark Beecher, a U.S. Navy veteran and Veteran Service Officer with the American Red Cross, was the keynote speaker Monday at a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony held at West Virginia University at Parkersburg. He spoke about the importance of remembering what happened on 9/11 and passing those stories onto the next generation. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — Over the last 22 years many people have grown up without any real understanding of what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, but it is up to those who still do to pass that along to the next generation, speakers said at a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony held Monday at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

Around 50 people attended the event in the college theater where speakers spoke of where they were at the time, what they were doing and how they found out about the terrorist attacks going on in New York City and Washington, D.C., where planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as the passengers of United Flight 93 who attacked their hijackers to prevent them from reaching their final destination which was believed to be in Washington, D.C., with the hijackers crashing the plane in rural Pennsylvania.

Dean of Academic Affairs Jared Gump talked about dropping his son off at middle school and his son commenting on all the flags, asking if it was Memorial Day.

“No this is for 9/11,” he said. “It is hard for those of us who lived through it to imagine that there are people now who did not experience it and do not have those memories.”

He was on his honeymoon in Hawaii when the attacks occurred. They were in an isolated area with little media access or phones. They did not find out about it until the following day when all the airports were closed and were given newspapers detailing what happened.

Raymona Grant, a student veteran at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, talked about what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, and how people remember that day during a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony held at the university. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“We didn’t have TVs there and we weren’t able to see anything,” Gump said, adding eventually TVs were set up and they could see what was happening, including the heroic acts of so many people working to help others.

“It is very important we have events like this to help people to remember and for those who didn’t experience it to learn,” Gump added.

Holly Martin, Associate Professor of Biology, sang the National Anthem.

In his invocation, WVU-P student and U.S. Army veteran Zachary Knight said they paused Monday to reflect the sacrifices of so many in times of need, including the military, police officers and first-responders as well as their loved ones in uncertain times.

WVU-P Student Veteran Raymona Grant talked about how everyone has their own memories of that day. Her son was born that day.

Stephanie King, a student veteran at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, rang the school’s bell 22 times on Monday during a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony held at the university to commemorate the 22 years since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“When he was 6 he asked me, ‘Mom, why is everyone sad on my birthday?”‘ she said. “It still chokes me up that my son had to learn about 9/11 when he turned 6.”

Grant recounted what happened that day with the hijackings and the death and destruction caused.

“The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people,” she said. “This was the single largest loss of life resulting in a foreign attack on American soil.

“Those who lived through it will always remember.”

Keynote Speaker Mark Beecher, a U.S. Navy veteran and Veteran Service Officer with the American Red Cross, talked about the need to remind the next generation of what happened.

“It is something we should remember and pass on,” he said. “On 9/11, America was changed very drastically.

“We need to observe this in a patriotic way.”

He talked about the first-responders who died that day and the others who were traumatized that day as well as those who were just going to work that day at the different locations. He talked about how no remains were found for a number of the victims.

“Those people need to be remembered,” Beecher said.

Quoting former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Beecher said the attacks were meant to break America’s spirit.

“Instead, we have emerged stronger and more united,” he said. “We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.”

He recounted stories from different people on how they remember when they found out about the attacks, the scale of the destruction and a renewed sense of patriotism.

“The stories go on and on and on,” Beecher said, adding the importance of passing those on to others like others passed the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, to him and kept it going.

Following the attacks, the country’s blood banks collected record amounts of blood. Now the American Red Cross is in a critical shortage situation with more donations needed. People can give blood as a way of honoring those lost on 9/11 and do other acts to honor those who were lost.

Quoting U.S. President Harry Truman, Beecher said America was not built on fear.

“America was built on courage and imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand,” he said.

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