On the 20th anniversary of a day that changed a nation, Great Bend’s first responders will gather to honor a pledge Saturday morning at Jack Kilby Square.
At 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, the Great Bend police and fire departments will gather at the band shell on the south side of the courthouse, along with the Great Bend American Legion Post 180 Riders and the Great Bend High School band, to remember those who lost their lives in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on a Tuesday morning two decades ago.
“(We want to) remember the day, and talk about the fallen, to fulfill the pledge that we’d never forget,” said GBFD Capt. Kevin Stansfield, who is coordinating the event and will be a featured speaker.
GBPD Chief Steve Haulmark said having his department be a part of the event is an honor. He said it’s important not only to remember those who died that day, but to honor the lives of first responders and service members lost in service to their communities and countries since then.
Stansfield echoed those sentiments, saying one of the goals for the event is to remember all lives lost in service before and since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. First responders, he said, put their lives on the line everyday they are on the job. He noted while they want to remember the 323 first responders who perished in the World Trade Center, between 80-100 firefighters lose their lives each year in the line of duty.
Stansfield said he wants to honor the core values of sacrifice and service that first responders and military personnel live each day by.
“Even though it’s a world apart, between western Kansas and New York City, the same core values (exist) of serving our citizens, our brothers, our family of the United States. There’s that same bond, that same common thread, regardless of where we’re at,” Stansfield said. “It’s the same willingness to face danger and lay our lives on the line serving others.”
Stansfield hopes the focus, though, at the ceremony is not about death, but about life.
“We’re not celebrating how they died, but we want to remember how they lived,” he said.
GBHS Band Director Grant Matthews said it is important for the students have this opportunity to serve the community, and he is honored to have the GBHS band be a part of it.
“Music plays a big role in our country’s heritage, history, and culture. It helps us to celebrate, mourn, heal, honor, and grieve as a community and a nation,” Matthews said. "These students were not born yet when the events of 9-11 took place, so it important for them to share in the history of these events and learn about the past, and understand what our country went through, how we rebuilt, how it brought us together, and how it makes us stronger.”
Stansfield said the remembrance event will last 30-45 minutes.
