4 ways you can honor 9/11 locally

Today is Patriot Day, observed in memory of the 2,977 people who died during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

We’ve compiled a list of several events within Southeast Missouri honoring those killed at the World Trade Center towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The first Patriot Day was held Sept. 11, 2002, declared by President George W. Bush.

Cape Girardeau County Park North Avenue of Flags organizer and retired Navy Capt. David Cantrell said Patriot Day also honors first responders who otherwise “don’t get enough recognition.”

“On 9/11, what I remember was stopping in a small town in rural Tennessee on my way back home from visiting my father,” Cantrell said. “I heard it on the radio, but it was just disbelief; I had to see it for my own eyes.”

Cantrell continued, “There were six or seven other people huddled around this TV, watching this go on. And no one said anything.”

In memory

Southeast Missouri State University is partnering with the Office of Military and Veterans Services and the Show-Me Gold Program for a special 2,977-flag ceremony. The Southeast Show Band is set to perform “The Star Spangled Banner” as Air Force ROTC Detachment 205 cadets raise the American flag among Show-Me Gold Program participants. The flag will be lowered to half-staff as the band performs taps. The service will end with a moment of silence recognizing the deceased. The ceremony is an ongoing effort to ensure Americans never forget the fallen, first responders and military members who sacrificed their time and lives due to the terrorist attacks, according to Southeast.

When: 7:30 a.m. today

Where: Southeast Missouri State University’s Academic Hall, 373 N. Henderson Ave. in Cape Girardeau

Show appreciation

The roles paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, firefighters and rescuers play within the community will be highlighted during this year’s inaugural First Responders Appreciation BBQ. Cantrell — one of the event’s organizers — said what he “really remembers” of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was the first responders “running in when everybody else was covering their mouths and running out of the building.” He said during the barbecue, first responders will be available to talk with attendees, describing it as a “meet ’em before you need ’em event.” Firetrucks, police cars and ambulances also will be on-site, he said, along with free food. “The first time you see them doesn’t necessarily need to be when you’ve called 911,” Cantrell said. “Let’s get to know these people; they’re real people, they’re around us every day.”

When: 3 p.m. to dusk today

Where: Cape Girardeau County Park North, 2400 County Park Drive

Groundbreaking

Jackson Fire Rescue Station No. 1 is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for its future 9/11 memorial, also honoring Cape Girardeau County firefighters. The memorial plaza — among the flags of the United States, Missouri and Jackson Fire Rescue — will have a pentagon-shaped base made of pavestones and a statue of a kneeling firefighter facing two black granite “towers,” resembling the World Trade Center. The towers will feature the names of the New York firefighters, and the names of Cape Girardeau County firefighters who have died in the line of duty will be added to the memorial’s pavestone walkway. Jackson Fire Rescue Capt. Sam Herndon said so far, the firefighters have raised 60% of the project’s $50,000 cost.

When: 10:30 a.m. today

Where: Jackson Fire Rescue Station No. 1, 525 S. Hope St. in Jackson

Run for freedom

Southeast Missouri State University’s Office of Military and Veteran Services and the Student Veterans Organization are hosting a family-friendly “show of support” to all first responders in Southeast Missouri through community participants’ running, walking and biking during the university’s Family Day weekend. The event is pet-friendly, and all proceeds will benefit local veteran service organizations, according to the university.

When: 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 21

Where: Show Me Center, 1333 N. Sprigg St.

How much: $15