The 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001 brought back different emotions for residents in southwest Virginia, and several gathered this past week at a Christiansburg memorial made from metal of the Twin Towers.
Christiansburg Fire Chief Billy Hanks said the group came together to remember.
“We don’t want to ever forget their sacrifice,” he said. “They were just answering the call of service and never came home that day.”
In Radford, the Radford Noon Rotary, Glencoe Mansion, Radford VFW Post 776 and the Gen. William Campbell Chapter of the DAR hosted the closing ceremony for “A Tribute to Heroes,” on Friday at Glencoe Mansion with the theme, “Celebrating 250 Years of Heroes,” as well as commemorating the anniversary of the attack.
The ceremony included remarks from Radford Mayor David Horton, Radford Police Chief Jerry Holdaway, Deacon Richard P. Bolgiano of St. Jude Catholic Church and Virginia DAR District VII Director Karen Finch. There was also participation by Radford University Army ROTC, the Radford Fire Department and the Radford VFW.
Christiansburg Police Chief Chris Ramsey said the anniversary was bittersweet to think it had been 25 years.
“It’s important to remember and recognize their sacrifice,” he said.
Several members of the Christiansburg Fire Department traveled to New York to participate in memorial activities.
Communities across the United States, including Montgomery County, obtained steel and metal artifacts from the World Trade Center through a distribution program managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Initially, debris and twisted steel from the Twin Towers were taken to the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island to be searched for evidence and human remains. Unrecycled structural steel beams and artifacts saved for historical and memorial purposes were housed in Hangar 17 at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Government entities applied with the promise to display the steel in a permanent, publicly accessible memorial.
In Montgomery County, this steel was used to create the 9/11 Memorial Peace Sculpture, which stands as a permanent tribute in front of the county’s government center.
The local monument features a piece of twisted steel salvaged from the debris of Ground Zero and an iron bell that was added afterwards. It was acquired and donated to the county by the Rotary Club of Montgomery County. The club’s president at the time, Dick Gilbert, said the goal was to find something beautiful from the ashes.
The sculpture was constructed by local artisans and was officially placed at the government center in November 2006. The county’s late General Services Manager Steve Phillips personally oversaw the careful placement and preservation of the sculpture during his 40-year career.
Micheal Geary serves as Montgomery County’s Chief of Fire-EMS.
“It’s special to have this (memorial) here in our county,” he said. “It is a constant reminder of that day and how many individuals sacrificed their lives in service of others.”
The local memorial is located at 755 Roanoke St., Christiansburg.
The joint community “A Tribute to Heroes” project is spearheaded by Radford Noon Rotary and raises funds to support multiple organizations and charities. Among the benefitting charitable projects are Rotary Scholarships for Radford High School Students, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Rotary Foundation Polio Plus, Vittles for Vets, Glencoe Mansion, Radford VFW, Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread, Elf Shelf, Women’s Resource Center, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Little Free Library, Lunch Pail Defense Foundation and Shelter Box.
There was also a ceremony held at Virginia Tech.
