Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony Set for Sunday

Paulding residents will gather for the 10th time this Sunday to honor those who sacrificed their lives while trying to save others Sept. 11, 2001.

The somber ceremony falls on a Sunday this year, and organizers have moved the starting time to 8 a.m. to avoid conflict with church programs. Law enforcement and firefighting personnel from the county and Retired New York City Shields of Georgia will open the ceremony at the Liberty Garden at Mt. Tabor Park, 1550 East Paulding Drive, Dallas, by lowering the flag to honor the fallen.

The Legion Riders will escort New York firefighters and police officers to the Liberty Garden.

The ceremony will resemble those of the past decade, but “we’re trying to beef it up a little” to mark the 10th year since so many lost their lives, said Maj. Chad Hunton of the Honor Guard. Hunton said this year’s ceremony would bring back the helicopter fly-over that made such an impact last year and will include members of the Paulding County High School marching band.

Sheriff Gary Gulledge will welcome those attending, and Sheriff’s Office Chaplain John Woodward will present the invocation. Chaplain John Turner is scheduled to review the events of Sept. 11, 2001, followed by remarks from United Airlines’ Capt. Dennis Tate.

Tim Murphy, president of the Retired New York City Shields of Georgia, a fraternal organization of retired New York firefighters and police officers, is scheduled to introduce a local soldier who has fought in the war on terror.

Local and New York firefighters and police officers will join airline representatives in laying a wreath at the 9/11 memorial, followed by Hunton reading the poem “In the Line of Duty.”

Paulding firefighters will lead the cascading of sirens and the New York City firefighters' 5-5-5-5 bell call. The Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard will fire a 21-gun salute, and Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department buglers will play “Taps,” followed by a closing prayer.

“We will never forget this horrible day,” Gulledge said. “We will always remember the families of the heroes that died that day. We will never forget about the ones that lived through the horrifying experience and are left with terrifying memories.”

Adds Paulding Fire Chief Michael Earwood: “We would like for the community to come out and support the families of the victims from 9/11. This is a time when we as a Paulding County community can pull together and show our support for the people directly affected by this event, many of whom now live in our community.”

In past ceremonies, “We have had guest speakers, from the speaker of the [Georgia] House, parents of soldiers serving to protect our country, soldiers that have fought to protect us, as well as NYFD members who were there in New York on that dreadful day,” said Deidre Holden, original ceremony organizer.

Hunton said the honor guards from the Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department assumed responsibility for the annual ceremony three years ago when there was talk of observing it less frequently.

“The biggest reason” for keeping the ceremony annual “is to let our brothers in New York know we aren’t going to forget the sacrifices they made that day,” Hunton said. “A lot of us are still in the [military] Reserves, and we want to let those who picked up the fight know that we know what they’re there for and honor the sacrifices made by them and their families.”

Hunton said another motivation is to keep the memory fresh for those not working in public safety.

 “We’re all guilty of it – we forget after something catastrophic happens. We pick up and move on and forget about the horror and terror that was brought to America that day,” he said. “And while our military continues to fight, we remind ourselves why we’re fighting this fight.”

Hunton said he has no idea how many residents will be there Sunday to remember, but that the 100 programs printed for last year’s ceremony were soon gone.

“We’ve done a lot more advertising this year than in the past and hope we get an even bigger response,” he said.

As for the ceremony continuing annually, “We can’t guarantee it, but I don’t see it going away.”

Dallas-Hiram Patch will have more coverage of the county's plans to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as the week continues.