MURFREESBORO,
Tenn. — As she recounted details of the hundreds of first responders who
lost their lives saving others as the Twin Towers collapsed in New York 15
years ago, MTSU senior ROTC cadet Sara Crum had to pause as emotion
increasingly tightened its grip on her every word.
“I’m
sorry y’all,” she told the crowd before continuing her welcoming remarks to
those gathered early Sunday morning for Middle Tennessee State University’s
9/11 Observance Ceremony held at the Veterans Memorial outside of the Tom H.
Jackson Building.
MTSU’s
Department of Military Science held the event to commemorate the 15th
anniversary of the terrorist attacks that occurred Sept. 11, 2001, killing
nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in
Pennsylvania.
Crum was
among several U.S. Army ROTC cadets who shared their reflections about the
impact of that tragic day on their young lives. A fifth-grader at the time of
the attacks, Crum recalls her teachers bringing a television into their
classroom as the attacks were unfolding.
“We actually
watched the towers fall,” she said. “… I didn’t know then that I was going to
join the U.S. military, but I stand here today, 15 years later, proud to have
joined, proud to serve for the best fighting force in America and proud to
serve for you all.”
Retired
Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives
at the university, noted that 65 MTSU alumni have given their lives defending
the nation, seven of those since 9/11.
“Today
is a day of remembrance, of reflection and of response,” said Huber, who spent
nearly 40 years in the military, retiring as a three-star general.
At the
time of the Sept. 11 attacks, Huber was a senior one-star general serving as
the appointed commander of U.S. forces in Kosovo. Upon learning of the first
plane striking one of the Twin Towers that morning, Huber said he at first
thought some sort of malfunction must be to blame. But after an aide informed
him of the second plane minutes later, he immediately knew “we’re at war.”
Ten
years later, he was a part of that war, serving in Afghanistan overseeing
detention operations for two years as America’s military continued the fight
against al-Qaida. He joined MTSU in January 2015 to bolster the university’s
strong commitment to student-veterans and their families and “serve these
incredible men and women.”
“Never
forget,” Huber told the crowd. “Remember where you were and how it impacted
you, reflect on how precious life is and that life is not a spectator sport.
And you must respond and you must focus on being worthy as an individual and as
an organization of the democracy that is provided at such a cost.”
MTSU
President Sidney A. McPhee said the terrorists “failed” at their goals because
the attacks didn’t demoralize America and didn’t deter the nation’s fighting
spirit, but instead brought Americans closer together.
“It is
indeed also fitting and proper that we held this ceremony here, on our sacred
ground and on the 105th anniversary of the founding of this outstanding
university, to remember the 9/11 victims,” he said.
“So let
us today, on this very important spot, at this proud university, rededicate
ourselves to the task of teaching this history to our future generations, so
that they can reflect upon not just the cowardly acts and deeds of these
terrorists, but the courage and commitment of those in our nation who would not
allow those atrocities to go unanswered.”
The
ceremony opened with a prayer and moment of silence led by cadet and graduate
student Shanika Willis, president of the Blue Raider American Veterans
Organization or BRAVO, and ended with “Taps” performed by cadet Joe Bell.
More
than 30 ROTC cadets attended the ceremony, along with members from the
Murfreesboro fire and police departments, MTSU Police Department and Tennessee
Army National Guard.
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