South Hills remembers Sept. 11
The sun may have been shining with hardly a cloud in the sky in South Park on Sunday, but the mood was quiet and somber as residents, community officials and public service figures gathered on the Sunny Slope of the park to pay tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The memorial service recognized the 15th anniversary of the fateful day, which involved coordinated attacks by the al-Qaeda terrorist group on the World Trade Center buildings in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa., the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. The attacks killed 2,996 people and injured 6,000 others.
“We can remember that day as a day when pure evil was on display,” Reverend Jerrel Gilliam of Shiloh Baptist Church told the hundreds of people in attendance. “But I remember seeing the paramedics and police running into burning buildings, so I choose to remember that day as a day when love was greater than hate.”
Many of the public officials who spoke to the crowd echoed Gilliam’s sentiments.
“We must never forget our fellow citizens, who went to work on a routine day, and were murdered,” Donald Nemchek of the United States Navy and speaking on behalf of Library VFW Post 6664, said. “We must never forget the compassion and courage of first responders who rushed into those burning buildings.”
“Simple acts of American patriotism happen every day,” South Park Supervisor Edward Snee said. “It inspires the families of American troops to make great sacrifices. It inspires our local police to patrol our communities. I take pride in knowing that patriotic acts take place in our nation.”
The hour-long service featured invocations and blessings by Reverend Jude Urso of Windover Hills United Methodist Church and Reverend Lota Jones of Grace Lutheran Church, patriotic songs performed by Heather Latorre, Michael Flaherty, Justin Kunzelman and the Harmony Singers of Pittsburgh as well as taps performed by Ben Smith and Gabe Mitchell of the South Park High School Band, “Amazing Grace” played on bagpipes by Sean O’ Donnell, and a 21-gun salute by members of Library VFW Post 6664 Honor Guard and American Legion Post 760 Bethel Park Honor Guard.
Those in attendance felt the event was a much-needed reminder of the day that changed our nation forever.
“I’m here to honor the dead and remember one of our greatest tragedies,” Bridgeville resident, Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient Jim Corrins said while waiting for the the service to begin. “God willing, it doesn’t happen again.”