COLUMBUS, Ind. — Remembrances, as well as honoring those who serve, were incorporated into Sunday morning’s ceremony outside Columbus City Hall marking the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“We live in the aftermath of this tragedy and into the shadow of possible future acts of aggression,” said Columbus Fire Department chaplain Ron Bridgewater during the 9/11 remembrance ceremony. “We pray that you will enable us to put an end to the fear, and let us resolve that, in the face of hatred and times of despair, we will be voices of hope and creators of new dreams.”
Bridgewater, who serves as senior minister at East Columbus Christian Church, made an appeal to our better angels.
“Let us resolve today that we never regard forgiveness as weakness, but rather as a source of strength in our lives and in our world,” he said.
During the ceremony, Columbus Fire Chief Andy Lay sounded one ring of a bell in honor of all 2,977 people who died in the terrorist attacks on 9/11 at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
After a tribute was read over an emergency channel frequency, another moment of silence took place before Lay rang the bell multiple times, followed by a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace” by Columbus Deputy Fire Chief Mike Kutsko.
The rings and the hymn specifically honored the 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers and 55 military personnel who sacrificed their lives 21 years ago, the fire chief said.
For more on this story, and more photos, see Monday’s Republic.
