Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11/2001, a day in which nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives amidst terrorist attacks and everyday American life was changed forever.
Events and special locations will be open for Erath residents to come and remember the lives lost in the tragic events and the bravery of men and women who responded to them.
9/11 chapel
Jonathon Weiss, the founder of the National Health and Public Safety History Museum in Dublin, recognizes this event annually and in a chapel found in the museum, which will be open to the public Saturday.
The exhibit is a sobering reminder of the sacrifices and bravery of the historic day with video footage of the day’s events, archival material, an original sculpture featuring a pair of outstretched firemen’s hands and a ragged piece of steel that was pulled and catalogued by the Freedom Flag Foundation, who provided it to the national museum.
This centerpiece of this chapel is a piece of Tower One reclaimed from Tower One of the World Trade Center.
The Weiss family were given their choice in which piece to display, but they finally selected on a piece of steel box girder from the 92nd through 95th floors of Tower One.
This piece was directly above David M. Weiss, a firefighter medic from Manhattan Rescue One who was in the north tower in the stairwell when it collapsed. He was never recovered.
David was the cousin of Jonathan’s father, Eddy, making the display even more personal for the Weiss family.
“This piece would have been directly above his head,” Jonathan said. “He would have been able to touch it had he reached up. It was very significant that our family was able to work with the Freedom Flag Foundation and get that.”
The chapel has grown since it was established in 2019, with the number of first responder agency patches growing from 6 to about three dozen. One of them is from a department who was pictured speeding across a bridge to get to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Many were provided by first responders who were moved by the chapel.
“People that served who see the chapel are just honored to see that we haven’t forgotten,” said Jonathon.”So many people have. There is so much going on in the world that people seem to forget that it’s even coming up.”
Jonathon said this isn’t the case for first responders who were at Ground Zero that day with some unable to go back to New York because of the memories of what happened.
The Ray Pfeifer Foundation was actually started to help first responders who are still dealing with the aftermath of Sept. 11, and visitors to the museum will be able to see many pieces related to the foundation and the man who started it.
A bell in the museum will be rung throughout the morning Saturday to commemorate events that happened 20 years before.
A one-of-a-kind helmet commissioned to recognize the 20th anniversary and rifle are being raffled to benefit the operations of the museum. For more information, visit frontlineheroesmuseum.org.
Tarleton
Tarleton State University is partnering with the city of Stephenville and Erath County on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 to commemorate the nation’s loss and resilience following terrorist attacks that took the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans.
Beginning with the ringing of the Stephenville Fire Department bell at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, the ceremony will pay tribute to 9/11 victims and their families, and honor the courage and sacrifice of first responders.
The event takes place at the Administration Mall (near the O.A. Grant Building and Alumni Island) on Tarleton’s Stephenville campus. The community is invited.
Tarleton President James Hurley will open the ceremony, and Stephenville Chief of Police Dan Harris will keynote.
“Continued remembrance of 9/11 is a poignant reminder of the enduring legacy and sacrifice of those who lost their lives that day and the vigilance required to keep our nation safe,” Dr. Hurley said. “It is a time to remember that life is a gift and that true community is more than being geographically close. It’s being connected to something greater than ourselves.”
The Stephenville Fire Department and Tarleton’s Corps of Cadets will post colors, and the Texan Troubadours, under the direction of Dr. Troy Robertson, will perform.
Chief Harris noted the importance of 9/11 ceremonies, since the attacks are history rather than memory for younger Tarleton students. He said: “We must never overlook the courage and sacrifice of the first responders who worked tirelessly to save more than 25,000 lives that day, or the thousands who died. We must never forget.”
Free parking will be available in Lot 10 just off Lillian Street. Students in Tarleton Serves will assist.
A Field of Flags will fly at Tarleton’s O.A. Grant Amphitheater, recognizing the three firemen who raised the red, white and blue on a mangled pole amid the destruction at Ground Zero. The display is open to the public through Sept. 14.