City of Dublin to hold 9/11 remembrance

Local first responders and the public are invited to attend an event that will pay tribute to 9/11 terrorist attacks that happened 25 years ago this year.

This annual program will begin around 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Public Safety Memorial, 320 S. Jefferson St., approximately 16 minutes before American Airlines Flight 11 flew into the north building of the World Trade Center in the first of several attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

“It seems like yesterday and also a million years ago,” said Dublin Fire Chief Matthew Cutler.

There were firefighters, police, EMS and citizen heroes who helped others inside the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. 

After the first plane crash, United Airlines 175 then hit the south building of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m, and American Airlines 77 struck the west side of the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. The reports of these attacks made its way to passengers on United Airlines 93, which had also been hijacked. They fought back, causing their plane to crash into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m.

The south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed at 9:59 a.m. The north tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m. At the end of the day, 2,996 people were killed and many were injured.

Many firefighters did not return to their stations in New York.

“Anybody in the public can relate to somebody who passed away that day because thousands of people were just going to work on a normal day or getting on an airplane and did not know what their final destination was,” Cutler said. “I have a handful of people who work in the fire department but had not been born or were young on Sept. 11. We have to keep sharing the story of what the country went through.” 

During this year’s program, the fire department’s honor guard will present the American flag, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem and a devotion led by Matt Taylor, member of Christ Chapel Dublin. “Taps” will be played by Matthew Pack.

“That and the national anthem hits me,” Cutler said. “Those are two of the most emotional times from the whole ceremony.” 

Cutler will give remarks and updated statistics about 9/11. He reminds people attending that some of those who worked at the World Trade Center site continue to die from 9/11-related health issues.

“I’ve got some updated numbers looking at it in a little different way,” Cutler said. “It will be another eye-opening experience of the deaths that continues to happen from 25 years ago.” 

After Cutler took the position as chief, many of the firefighters wanted to do something on the day of Sept. 11, even if they just went down together to the public safety memorial.

“We wanted to be there,” he said.