KINGWOOD — A national day of service and remembrance for Sept. 11 was held at 1 p.m. Sunday on the courthouse square. The event was part of a nationwide project by the AmeriCorps.
AmeriCorps member Debbie Braham planned the local event as her service project.
“Sept. 11, 2001, is a day we will never forget, because that was the day our nation came under attack on our home soil. After the smoke had settled at the World Trade Center buildings, 2,997 victims had lost their lives to this terrorist attack,” Duane Hamilton, director of the Offices of Emergency Services said.
He closed his speech by saying, “As we remember today all other fallen responders, military and civilians that lost their lives that day and the days to follow, we remember them by learning and making sure this never happens again.”
Kingwood Chief of Police Charlie Haney said he was in Morgantown with his father, who had a doctor’s appointment, when he first heard the news.
“While I was in the waiting room, the television was on CNN with the regular news routine. One topic was talk and reports of ‘word just in’ — of a plane hitting a building in New York,” he said.
Haney said his first thoughts were that it was a small private plane with maybe two to four passengers that got off course or had some kind of mechanical problems.
He said then a second plane hit the other World Trade Center Tower, and a third plane hit the Pentagon. The fourth plane was still in the air somewhere over western Pennsylvania or northern West Virginia. It later crashed near Shanksville, Pa.
“We should never forget this. This event is etched in our history, our minds and our souls,” Haney said. “Many of us are really unable to forget.”
Sunday’s event also included Lori Rankin singing the National Anthem and Pastor Barry Adkins delivering the prayer.
Colors were presented by members of the ChalleNGe Academy, and there was a moment of silence.
Preston County’s oldest veteran, 98-year-old World War II veteran Foster Huffman, rang the courthouse bell. Huffman has been a member of the Honor Guard for 36 years. He joined the Navy in 1943 and served on an aircraft carrier during World War II from 1943-46.
The event ended with the Preston County Honor Guard providing a 21-gun volley.
