Southeast to place 3,000 flags for Patriot Day

Before a Patriot Day flag ceremony Friday, nearly 3,000 flags will be placed in the front lawn of Academic Hall at Southeast Missouri State University in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The flags and ceremony are part of Southeast's Patriot Day events, a continuing effort to ensure Americans never forget the fallen, as well as the first responders and military members who sacrificed their time and lives because of the terrorist attacks.

"Anything that's free and open to the public that can help expand on their understanding and remembrance of anything related with terrorism and why we have to do this is certainly a good thing," said Jeremy McBroom, director of the Office of Military and Veterans Services at Southeast.

The Patriot Day flag ceremony at the steps of Academic Hall is set to begin at 7:40 a.m. "The Star Spangled Banner" will be played as the flag is raised.

At 7:46 a.m., military will render a salute, and the flag will be lowered to half-staff as taps is played. The time is significant, McBroom said, because it marks when the hijacked plane struck the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York.

At 7:47 a.m., a moment of silence will be observed. The ceremony then will conclude, and the flag will remain at half-staff for the rest of the day.

The keynote speaker for Patriot Day will be Jeff Bauman, a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing. His address will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday at Academic Hall auditorium. The event is free, and no tickets are needed.

Bauman was waiting for his girlfriend at the marathon's finish line when he was injured by the bomb's first explosion, losing both of his legs.

Carlos Arredondo, a peace activist at the marathon now described as a "cowboy hat-wearing hero," quickly lifted Bauman and got him to an ambulance, saving his life. A photo of Bauman and Arredondo surfaced that day is the most iconic image of the marathon tragedy.

Once inside the ambulance, Bauman told EMTs he knew who had set off the bomb. Despite being somewhat delirious and in shock, he remembered the man in dark clothing with whom he'd made eye contact minutes before the blast.

When Bauman awakened from surgery, FBI agents were outside his door. He started talking, a sketch artist started drawing, and the FBI soon had identified the two suspects.

Bauman's story is featured in The New York Times best-selling memoir "Stronger" that is being adapted for film. He now shares his story with audiences across the country.

klamb@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3639

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