Twenty-five years have passed since the morning that changed America forever, but Thursday morning in Hazlehurst, the message was clear: We still remember.
Hazlehurst Now was honored to attend the Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Fire Rescue Community 9/11 remembrance service, where first responders, law enforcement officers, public officials, veterans and community members gathered to honor the 2,977 lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, remember the men and women who ran toward danger that morning, and reflect on the unity that followed one of the darkest days in American history.
The ceremony included the presentation of the colors, the National Anthem performed by the Jeff Davis High School Marching Band, the Pledge of Allegiance, prayers, music, remarks from local leaders, a moment of silence, a wreath-laying ceremony and a special stair-climb tribute by local firefighters.
“May We Never Forget”
The service opened with a reminder from Dr. David Stapleton that while a quarter-century has passed, the memories and sacrifices of Sept. 11 remain. “We remember the 2,977 innocent lives that were lost,” those gathered were told. “We remember the firefighters, the police officers, the emergency medical personnel, the military members, and the ordinary citizens who ran toward [danger] while others were running away.”
The opening remarks also turned attention to today’s first responders and the responsibility they carry each time they answer a call without knowing what awaits them. “May we never forget the lives lost. May we never forget the sacrifices made. May we never forget the courage displayed. And above all, may we never forget.”
Following the presentation of the colors and National Anthem, Mr. Alvin Merritt delivered the invocation, praying for first responders, firefighters, law enforcement, emergency personnel, military members, chaplains and volunteers. The ceremony also featured a beautiful musical tribute by Benjamin Glosson.
Jeff Davis County Sheriff Preston Bohannon reflected not only on the tragedy of Sept. 11, but on what happened across America the following day. He recalled how political, social and cultural divisions seemed to disappear as Americans came together. “Terror didn’t win on 9/11,” Bohannon said. “America won on 9/12.”
He spoke about the extraordinary courage displayed not only by first responders, but by ordinary citizens who stepped forward to help complete strangers. Bohannon also noted how Sept. 11 inspired a generation of Americans to enter public safety, public service and the military.
His message to those who serve today was a reminder that no one knows what an ordinary day may bring. “We cannot control tragedies,” Bohannon said. “Those are going to happen.” What first responders can control, he said, is whether they are ready to answer when that day comes.
Another perspective came from EMS Director, Andrew Waldron, who was a first-grader when the attacks occurred. He spoke for a generation that may have been too young to fully comprehend Sept. 11 as it unfolded, but grew up understanding its significance. “Behind every number was a name, behind every name was a life, and behind every life was a story that mattered,” he said.
For him, the legacy eventually became a calling. He spoke of spending the past 12 years in emergency services and of trying to carry forward the example established by the men and women who answered the call on Sept. 11. “Leadership isn’t about a title,” he said. “It’s about sacrifice. It’s about courage. It’s about putting others before yourself, even when it’s difficult, even when it’s dangerous.”
He reminded those gathered that for many families and first responders, the consequences of Sept. 11 did not end 25 years ago. “United, we remember,” he said, describing those words not simply as a theme, but as a promise to remember the lives lost and continue serving with courage, commitment and compassion.
One of the morning’s most moving moments came as Fire Chief, Charles Wasdin shared the story of New York City Fire Department Ladder Company 6 and Josephine Harris, a civilian they encountered while evacuating the North Tower. The firefighters could have continued without her. Instead, they stayed.
Wasdin described how the firefighters helped Harris slowly make her way down the stairwell, stopping repeatedly along the way. When the tower collapsed around them, the group survived in a portion of Stairwell B and was eventually rescued.
His message centered on why those firefighters refused to leave her behind: love for others and a commitment to service. “If we all had that love in our heart,” Wasdin told those gathered, “this would be a better place.” He then turned his attention to the local firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs and paramedics in attendance, thanking them for choosing professions built around helping others — often on their worst days.
The ceremony included a moment of silence for the 2,977 people killed on Sept. 11 and for all whose lives were forever changed. Rev. Brad Waters delivered the closing prayer, reflecting on the preciousness of life, the sacrifices of first responders and military personnel, and the importance of a community coming together to remember.
As the formal ceremony drew to a close, those attending were challenged not simply to remember Sept. 11, but to live the lessons that came from it — valuing family, appreciating those who serve, reaching out to neighbors and standing together during difficult times.
“Twenty-five years later, we still remember,” Dr. Stapleton declared. “Twenty-five years later, we can still say with conviction, we will never forget.”
2,071 Steps in Their Honor
The remembrance continued outside with a powerful physical tribute. Local firefighters climbed 2,071 steps, representing the 110 floors firefighters climbed inside the World Trade Center during the rescue efforts on Sept. 11. For those participating, each step represented more than a number. It was a tribute to the firefighters who climbed upward while thousands of others were desperately trying to make their way down.
Twenty-five years later, an entire generation has grown up knowing Sept. 11 only through photographs, video, history lessons and the stories of those who lived through it. That made one message from Thursday’s ceremony particularly important: those stories must continue to be told. Hazlehurst remembered Thursday.
And 25 years later, the promise remains:
Never forget!
