.png)
On the morning of Sept. 11, local veterans and first responders joined together at Patriots’ Hall in Dripping Springs for a remembrance ceremony in honor of the victims of the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
The Patriot Day event was sponsored by the American Legion and VFW. The ceremony included the placing of a memorial wreath and the ringing of the four fives, a fire service tradition that honors a firefighter who dies in the line of duty.
Speakers included Rob Parker, new Commander of VFW Post 2933 in Dripping Springs, and Robert “Chappy” Chaplin, VFW chaplain, who offered the prayer.
“Veterans know the weight of sacrifice,” Parker said. “Our organizations were born from the valor of those who served and served in foreign wars, but our purpose extends to every hero who has protected our country.”
Parker said that the attacks of 9/11 were meant to weaken us, to divide us and to make us live in fear. Instead, the true spirit of America emerged, and the nation stood united.
“Eventually, the destroyed halls of the Pentagon were rebuilt, the scarred field in Somerset County grew green again and at the very site of Ground Zero, a new skyscraper rose, a monument to our nation’s resilience,” Parker said. “And because we remember that resilience, we will forever honor the memory of the men, women and children who perished that day.”
Parker said that the selfless courage of the firefighters, police and emergency personnel who ran toward danger reminded us that patriotism isn’t just about love of country; it’s about a willingness to serve and sacrifice for your neighbors.
“Let us live lives worthy of the sacrifices of our fallen heroes and ensure that their memory lives on forever,” Parker said. “And, let us never forget.”
