MMJ 3631
First responders host ceremony in remembrance of lives lost on 9/11
STATESBORO, GA- On Sunday, Statesboro Fire and Police Departments commemorated the 21st anniversary of a day they’ll never forget.
"As soon as we found out, we started making contacts with FDNY on the job to see if there was something we could possibly do”, Bobby Duggar, deputy fire chief at the Statesboro Fire Department said.
Since 2002, The Statesboro Fire Department has held a ceremony in honor of the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
Around this particular time in history the US had experienced many issues involving conflict with the Middle East. It’s been confirmed over 6,000 injuries were reported along with 2,996 bodies perished on 9/11.
Duggar devotes strong patriotism to the service he provides to the community. He added 9/11 reminds him to look internally and reflect selfless service of sacrifice everyday.
All over the world people gathered to pay homage to the terrorist attack of The Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia. For many locals, it's a memory that's still fresh.
Audio Clip of Statesboro Fire Department Lieutenant Caleb New performing Lee Greenwood’s, “God Bless the USA”
Fire Emergencies member , Bill Taylor vividly remembers watching news and being emotionally disturbed about what he’d witness.
“At first I wondered well what kinda major accident is this. Then as things progressed and the second tower was hit I realized this was far more significant than just an accident,”
Taylor said.
For others 9/11 will mark an everlasting memory of losing close relatives to a place they once called home.
Kathleen O'Connor, administrative assistant at the Statesboro Fire Department is a native of New York and lost her cousin Susan Ruggiero who was working on the 96th floor of the North Tower during the attack.
"Even though I was personally affected by it I feel that everyone in our country was affected by it...that day lives changed," said O'Connor.
O'Connor added it’s essential to continue to have ceremonies to teach generations of the tragedy that struck the nation by storm.
