TRIBUTE — A line of motorcycles and members of the Patriot Guard Riders welcome those attending the Ohio Valley 9-11 Memorial event Sunday at WesBanco Arena. Pictured, from left, are Dick Johnson and John Johnson of Bellaire, both members of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the American Legion Riders, Bellaire Post 52; and Grover Brogan of Valley Grove, a member of the Elm Grove Eagle riders. -- Joselyn King

TRIBUTE — A line of motorcycles and members of the Patriot Guard Riders welcome those attending the Ohio Valley 9-11 Memorial event Sunday at WesBanco Arena. Pictured, from left, are Dick Johnson and John Johnson of Bellaire, both members of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the American Legion Riders, Bellaire Post 52; and Grover Brogan of Valley Grove, a member of the Elm Grove Eagle riders. — Joselyn King

WHEELING — Emergency responders first inside The Pentagon on the morning of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks found only the remains of the 184 people who died there when terrorists crashed a plane into the building, according to Victor Ceglie — a Follansbee native and Washington, D.C. firefighter at the scene.

Ceglie today is fire chief of Battalion 6 in Washington, D.C. And on Sunday — the 15th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, he served as keynote speaker and told of his experiences during the Ohio Valley 9-11 Memorial ceremony at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling.

Ceglie said the morning of the attacks he and other firefighters were sitting at the station watching reports of the first plane crash and fire at the World Trade Center in New York, when suddenly their alarm sounded initially telling them another plane had just crashed into the White House.

Units responded to the White House, only to find out the plane crash was instead at The Pentagon. Though The Pentagon is actually in Arlington, Va., Ceglie said the Washington, D.C. fire department responds to incidents at all federal buildings.

Ceglie said he drove the chief to the site, following the firetrucks in front of him. Upon arrival, the Battalion 6 responders were told it would be their job to do search and rescue of victims in the wing of the building where the crash occurred.

Because of the enormous size of the Pentagon, and the building’s maze of many circular hallways, it took the responders nearly 20 minutes to reach the crash area with hoses, Ceglie said. He became visibly emotional while describing what they found.

“We went in … there were feet and heads laying everywhere…,” Ceglie said. “I’m not going to hold back, because everyone needs to know what happened that day…. We pushed in, trying to save the wing of the building and save people as we went.”

The responders then were told another plane was heading toward The Pentagon, and they were told to head back outside. But lines were already stretched, and an exit for them wasn’t easily possible.

“We just looked at each other, stayed by the wreckage — and hoped a plane wouldn’t hit us again,” Ceglie said.

A second warning came later, and Ceglie said the firefighters refused to leave because they were too angered by what they saw. Many of the victims were found sitting at their desks or around boardroom tables.

No one in the section of the building was found alive, and Ceglie said firefighters couldn’t understand why because as many as 800 people should have been working there. They learned a remodeling project was taking place, and many of the employees had been moved elsewhere within The Pentagon.

He had a message for today’s first responders.

“Not everybody can do this job,” Ceglie said. “Just think of all the lives you have touched during your careers, and how many more you are going to touch.

“We have a job to do, and we have to continue to do it no matter what. It’s what we do.”

Also speaking was Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger, who spoke of the divide that exists between police and community across the nation. He said police and firefighters need to be the ones to set an example of “hardwork,” “family values” and “respect for one another.”

“We need to pick a brother or sister up when they need it, hold them accountable when they deserve it, educate them when they don’t understand, and stand beside them when they are threatened,” he said. “That’s the America I know and love.”

Those attending were given American flags as they entered WesBanco Arena. The event ranged from somber reverence to a celebration of patriotism when they raised the flags during a number of musical performance.

A total of 3,000 flags were ordered for the event, though the number of people present was closer to the 2,000 attending the 10th year anniversary in 2011.

Among those performing were Taylor Porter, the Ron Retzer Trio, the Pitts Sisters, bagpiper Betsy Bethel-McFarland, Roger Hoard, the Honkytonk Sweathearts and the Joseph Sisters. A community choir also sang, and was formed especially for the 9-11 event.

(King can be contacted at jking@theintelligencer.net)