Jana Malone
janareneereports@gmail.com
The Mitchell County Firefighters Association held its annual 9/11 Memorial Parade on Wednesday, Sept. 11 in honor of the first responders who died in the 2001 terrorist attacks.
During a memorial service at the end of the parade in Spruce Pine, several speakers paid tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of those who ran toward danger on 9/11.
“You honor those people by getting in your patrol car, you get in your truck, by going and handling business. That’s how you honor them,” said Officer Mark Young during his speech.
The parade left downtown Bakersville at 6:15 p.m. and ended at the flagpole above Parkway Fire and Rescue in Spruce Pine.
A procession of patrol vehicles and fire trucks with lights flashing made its way through both towns and the countryside in between, creating an eye-catching spectacle for onlookers.
Pastor Allen Hoilman, holding back tears, offered a prayer for those gathered and reflected on the dedication of first responders.
“I think about one thing — it’s protect and serve. You know, when those towers were going down, everyone else was running away,” Hoilman said. “Folks like y’all came running in.”
On Sept. 11, 2001, four commercial airliners were hijacked by members of al-Qaeda, an Islamist terrorist organization then led by Saudi Arabian Osama bin Laden, who was in hiding in Afghanistan.
The hijacked planes were flown into both towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, N.Y., and into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to take control of the cockpit from the terrorists.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, including all the passengers and crew members on the affected planes, and more than 400 first responders.
Most of the emergency personnel who died had gone into the burning World Trade Center to look for survivors, and were killed when the towers finally collapsed.
Following the service, attendees gathered at Fire Station 2 for a meal, continuing to remember and honor those lost.
The event, marked by the presence of emergency vehicles, stood as a testament to the continued respect and gratitude felt by the community for the heroes of 9/11.