9-11 Remembered At Courthouse
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
An annual 9-11 St. Landry Parish Courthouse ceremony, framed in remembrance and solitude, was described on Thursday morning as an event that featured the heroic efforts of first responders and one which briefly unified the nation.
Sponsored by the parish government and representatives from the St. Landry Veterans Memorial, the event honored local and state law enforcement, first responders, firefighters, as well as emergency medical and military personnel who provided primary assistance at the New York City Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
Veterans Memorial project director Patricia Mason-Guillory who presided over the occasion, pointed out the important roles that first responders played after the three commercial planes targeted the Trade Center and Pentagon.
Guillory noted that the “courage and decision making” provided by the responders were the “backbone of safety” on 9-11 were crucial in saving lives and attending to those who were injured in both cities.
Parish president Jessie Bellard said firefighters and law enforcement displayed exemplary bravery and skill during a time that the nation will never forget.
Bellard and keynote speaker 27th Judicial District Court Judge Charles Cravins, each reminded the crowd that despite the overall tragedy of 9-11, the United States emerged from the tragedy with a spirit of national resolve.
“It has been an ultimate reminder of enduring national strength,” said Bellard.
Cravins added that 9-11 reflected a time that “brought America together and people in the nation were able to put aside their differences.”
St. Landry Parish assessor Sheri McGovern provided a timeline for the morning of 9-11, which highlighted the flights lifted off from several East Coast airports and then doubled back towards New York and Washington, D.C with their doomed passengers aboard.
The chronological presentation also included the times in which the airliners crashed into both Trade Center towers, Pentagon and into an open field in Shanksville, Pa.
Louisiana State Trooper Jonathan Neck and retired U.S. Army sergeant Darrell Minix, recalled how they reacted to the events on 9-11.
Minix said that he served several combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan following 9-11.
The military response to 9-11 was launched by all-volunteer U.S. armed forces, Minix said, in order to ensure that a a similar attack on America would never occur again.
In her closing remarks, Guillory said that 9-11 showed that the U.S. displayed a large measure of resilience and hope and that the nation will continue attempting to build a world of justice and compassion.
