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As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Barnwell County residents will come together this week to remember the victims and honor the heroes.
Several events are planned across the county, including a ceremony on the Circle in downtown Barnwell and a 9/11 memorial parade that will start in Blackville but go throughout the county. Both events are scheduled for this Friday, September 11.
The events commemorate the nearly 3,000 people killed when terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001. Two planes struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City, another struck the Pentagon in Virginia, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers.
Flag Display
Before the events on Friday, residents can stop by the Circle in downtown Barnwell to view the display of 2,978 American flags.
Volunteers gathered Sept. 5 to place the flags, with each one representing a life lost in the attacks. The annual memorial was started by Barnwell resident Barbara Christian and is now in its sixth year. This year, the display was moved to the Circle to provide more room for the memorial and make it more visible to the community.
“With this year marking the 25th anniversary, I want the lives lost on that fateful day that war was brought to our soil to not be forgotten. I am always grateful for the help of volunteers that show up every year to make this possible.”
Barnwell City Councilwoman Peggy Kinlaw thanked Christian and the volunteers who helped create the display. Kinlaw said the display serves as a reminder of the significance of the anniversary.
“We should never forget the tragic day that our nation was attacked and the 2,978 precious lives that were lost 25 years ago,” she said. “God bless these families and God bless America.”
The flags will remain on the Circle through Sunday, Sept. 13. Volunteers will begin taking them up at 2 p.m.
Ceremony planned on Circle
The City of Barnwell will conduct a public ceremony of honor and remembrance on Friday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m. on the Circle.
The ceremony will honor the victims and heroes of the 9/11 attacks.
“I remember as a country we made a statement that we would never forget this tragic event and those who died. As we move farther away from it, if we don’t do what we said, 9/11 will lose its meaning,” said Barnwell Mayor Ron Still, citing how many people were not born or were too young to remember 9/11.
The ceremony will include music and a reading of the timeline of events from that tragic day 25 years ago. There will be a moment of silence for the victims, as well as a time to recognize the military and first responders who serve our country.
Mayor Still said he hopes to see a large turnout.
Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs due to the length of the program. Parking on the Circle will be limited, but additional parking will be available at locations including the Barnwell County Library, the city parking lot and along Main and Wall streets.
The ceremony will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.
County-wide parade begins in Blackville
Remembrance activities will continue Friday evening with a county-wide 9/11 Memorial Parade beginning at 5 p.m. in downtown Blackville.
The parade will travel through communities across Barnwell County before returning to Blackville. The planned route includes Blackville, Hilda, Friendship, Barnwell, Kline, Snelling, Long Branch, Williston and Elko.
«My goal for the parade is to honor the past, unite the present, and inspire the future,» said Desmond Williams, a Blackville firefighter who organized the parade. Though Williams was born at the time of 9/11, he has heard the stories from his family and fellow firefighters.
While a small parade was organized last year at the last minute, Williams said this year’s parade has invited all area fire departments to participate.
The public is invited to participate and gather along the route as the parade passes through the communities.
Twenty-five years later, local organizers hope the flags, ceremony and parade will ensure those who died — and those who responded in the aftermath — are not forgotten.
