Eldersville honors Sept. 11 victims

ELDERSVILLE, Pa. - In the moments before the annual Sept. 11 memorial ceremony at the Veterans' Memorial on Oak Grove Road, a steady stream of families dressed in red, white and blue arrived as small children played in the grass surrounding the monument Friday.

"I hope people across the country can feel the same unity that we feel in our community," said Diane Huggins, America's 9-11 Memorial Quilts secretary and poet.

Seven years ago, the attacks killed thousands of Americans at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pa. in a terrorist attack by al-Qaida.

The Eldersville ceremony, which began as a simple prayer circle on the Huggins family lawn on the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks, welcomed approximately 50 residents, including members of the Slovan and Jefferson Township volunteer fire departments and Ambulance and Chair Service as special guests.

Huggins has organized the event and was one of the speakers. Visibly emotional, Huggins spoke about the importance of remembering those who were lost, respecting and assisting those first responders who were at the sites, some of whom are still dealing with illnesses related to their efforts.

During her remarks, Huggins recognized Chris Lander of the Slovan Volunteer Fire Department and George Elich and Dave Stiffler of the Jefferson Township Volunteer Fire Department. The trio then lowered the flags - one American flag and two in remembrance of Sept. 11 - and raised them again to half staff.

Huggins spoke about the long-reaching effects of the attacks, noting increased airport security is not the only fallout. She reminded those attending that many of the first responders have been overwhelmed with medical bills related to the attacks and some of those involved in the recovery efforts are haunted by nightmares and depression, a few committing suicide.

"They searched for the dead, so they could carry them from the rubble and bring them back home to their families to be laid to rest," said Huggins. "Sept. 11 has not ended."

Huggins then shared the stories of some of those who perished during the attacks, including the Hanson family, a father, mother and daughter who all were killed when their plane was crashed into the towers and the teachers and students on a National Geographic field trip. She also read a letter from the mother of Timothy Keller, a first responder who died of an illness related to breathing in the toxic dust at the World Trade Centers and a poem she had written for Steven Furolli, who was killed while working in the towers.

Huggins gave special attention to the story of "The Man in the Red Bandana," Welles Crowther, a 24-year-old equitities trader who worked on the 104th floor of Tower 2. Crowther, a volunteer firefighter, assisted many people to safety before reaching the lobby himself, where, instead of leaving the tower, he stayed to help at the Fire Department of New York's command incident center. He and members of the FDNY were killed when the tower collapsed as they mounted another rescue operation, attempting to carry a extraction tool up into the tower to free victims from the debris.

"The best way to remember the 9/11 victims in our everyday lives is to reach out and help someone in need," said Huggins.

46th District Rep. Jesse White, D-Cecil Township, also spoke, telling those in attendance that the memories of the terrorist attacks have the power to unify, pointing out the joint appearance of presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama at Ground Zero Friday.

"They finally got it," said White, lauding the candidates for putting aside their differences in deference to the victims. "Shanksville could have been Eldersville - it's only 100 miles away. ... For so many of us, Sept. 11 was that day."

The Rev. Dana Hiles of the Eldersville United Methodist Church opened the service with a prayer for the victims, those still suffering from the effects of the attacks and the servicemen and women fighting the war on terror.

"We come together today to remember those who died that day," said Hiles. "It's been seven years, but it was just yesterday for so many people in so many ways."

(Wallace-Minger can be contacted at swallace@pafocus.com)