Fire Chief Mike Beaver and Sweet Home Police Officer John Trahan perform a bell ceremony to remember the firefighters lost in the catastrophe. Photo by Scott Swanson

To honor those who died during the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001 and the soldiers who have lost their lives since then in Iraq and Afghanistan, area veterans, students, firefighters, police officers and community members held a special ceremony before the football game against Molalla Friday night at Husky Field.

“The total number of fatalities on 9/11/01 represents a larger loss of life than the United States sustained on the attack of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941,” said football announcer Ken Roberts, reading from a prepared program, while members of local veterans groups displayed their flags on the 30-yard line. A total of 2,966 died that day.

He highlighted the losses, including 1,609 people who lost spouses or partners and 3,051 children who lost a parent. Among the dead were 327 foreign visitors in the World Trade Center buildings, 264 civilians aboard four airliners, 2,016 civilians inside the World Trade Center, 125 civilians and military personnel inside the Pentagon, 60 New York City police officers and 343 New York City firefighters.

“We also can’t forget the 5,135 U.S. military members, 87 of which are from Oregon, who have died defending our country since 9/11,” Roberts said. “The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District continues to honor all that perished on 9/11 and those that have died defending our freedom. We especially will never forget the valor and sacrifice of the 343 FDNY brother firefighters lost on 9/11.

“Tonight, we honor all who perished on Sept. 11, 2001 and all that have paid the ultimate sacrifice defending our country with a moment of silence and by tolling the bell. Their tour has been completed.”

Sweet Home Police Officer John Trahan and Fire Chief Mike Beaver walked onto the field. While Trahan held the bell, Beaver struck the bell in three sets of five, which represents firefighters sending a fallen firefighter home, to his or her final resting place.

Sweet Home firefighters followed by unfurling a giant flag at the north end of the field.

“It is hoped that out of the horror of the attacks and the losses from the wars that we will build a better country and community,” Roberts said.

“Honor them by helping to commemorate the National Day of Service and Remembrance, signed into law by the president, with creative, significant projects. Things in process range from creating a memorial for sons lost in the war to the United Way Day of Caring. ‘Pay it forward’ for military families on Sept. 25.”

“The fire service is a very close-knit, traditional organization,” Beaver told The New Era afterward. “It’s just very important that people don’t forget these folks who perished on 9/11.”

People do not need to have been firefighters, police officers or soldiers to have been affected by the attack, he said. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my life. It’s one of the few things to arrive at work, watch it and be speechless.”

Seeing the aftermath, the searching through the rubble, he said, “it’s just something you carry with you for the rest of your life.
“I’m glad that we had the opportunity, and I’m glad the School District allowed us to do this.”

He also thanked the Police Department and veterans groups.

“We’re all one big family,” he said. “It’s one country.”

“This was great,” Trahan said. “It’s an important thing because of the police officers and firefighters that were killed, and their families and anybody that was related to someone who was killed or injured.

“It’s a day to remember what terrorists tried to do to our country, and I think it should be a national holiday the same as Pearl Harbor.”

Principal Pat Stineff appreciated the display, she said. “I think it’s always great to honor the firefighters, the soldiers….”

“Pretty much, for me, the ceremony was a somewhat emotional deal,” said high school senior Kaleb Lane, 17. His sister, Kyra More, joined the National Guard right afterward, so the event holds a lot of meaning for him just having gone through that period and seen it.

“And I’m a big patriotic and military person,” Lane said. “I was in a military program, and we did a ceremony the last year I was in it.”

That day, eight years ago, his mother woke him up for school, and he saw the events unfold on the TV.

“I watched them come down and collapse and all that,” he said. “It was really emotional for me.”

“I just remember seeing it on TV that day,” said sophomore Sorin White, 15. He remembers seeing coverage played or replayed in class.

He heard that another child in his class had family actually in the buildings, he said, and students in class were crying.

“I couldn’t believe anyone could do that to us,” White said, adding that he wondered what America might have done to deserve it.

“This is good to help people get over the bad memories of what happened that day,” he said. “I like that they actually told us more about it,” reminding people of what other families had to go through.

“It’s a huge impact to realize a kid lived through it but didn’t have a mother or father that can be there because they died in a terrorist attack. That could’ve been my family, my mom, my dad. That could be me right there saying, I could’ve lost parents in a terrorist attack.”