Plum American Legion ceremony honors memory of those killed in Sept. 11, 2001 attacks
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On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Plum American Legion Post 980 honored first responders and remembered those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
The ceremony was attended by local first responders, including local EMS workers, firefighters, borough and county police. Military veterans and members of Post 980 also performed a rifle salute in memory of the fallen.
The Beaver Valley Choral Society performed during the ceremony, which was led by Vietnam veteran Jeff Pope, the Sr. Vice Commander of Post 980.
“I got involved in this program because I thought it was sorely, sorely, needed,” Pope said. “I think it turned out very well.”
The ceremony lasted about one hour and was followed by a day’s worth of events, including a free breakfast for those who attended.
During breakfast, a 30-minute video about the attacks was played.
Other activities included a driving, chipping and mini-golf outing at neighboring Willow Golf Range.
The event was coordinated by Ron Lucas, who started planning it in Feburary. He was originally looking to plan a golf outing for the Sons of American Legion, but the date was going to coincide with 9/11.
They pushed the outing back a week, and Lucas took the opportunity to plan a big ceremony to remember the tragic events of 9/11.
The ceremony was an opportunity for people to reflect on where they were on 9/11.
Lucas said he actually had a job interview that day at 2 p.m. He thought it was going to be canceled but it wasn’t, and Lucas got the job. Pope said he remembers sitting in a pediatrician’s office when he saw the aftermath of the first plane hitting the first tower.
“It made me think of things back to Veitnam,” Pope said. “Things that I have always tried to forget, and it brought them back to me.”
Attending the ceremony was a member of Post 980 that said he witnessed Flight 93 crashing in Shanksville. George Pasvantis said he and his friend were there to go metal detecting.
“We were getting everything ready and it was a beautiful morning,” Pasvantis said. “Then I heard this plane and I said, ‘Harry, that plane is low’ and the next thing you know we look up and it’s maybe 100-150 feet above us. And we could actually see the people in the cockpit fighting. Next thing I knew, it’s down. No more than 35 seconds, it went down.”
Pasvantis and his friend drove a mile down the road to see if they could help, but police wouldn’t let them through. They had no idea that three planes had already crashed prior to Flight 93. In fact, their family had no idea what was going on until Pasvantis and his friend arrived back home and told them to turn on the TV.
For the younger generation, 9/11 isn’t a memory. It’s a lesson in history class. Both Pope and Lucas touched on the importance of educating this generation on the impact of 9/11. Lucas invited another speaker, Mike Wargo, to provide details about what led up to the 9/11 attacks.
“He was the man,” Lucas said. “If you heard him, he had everything specifically set up to how it all happened that day.”
Perhaps the most heroic stories to come from 9/11 are those about first responders rescuing survivors, many even giving up their own lives to save others. That’s why it was important for Post 980 to recognize the local community’s first responders at the event.
“It was a very moving ceremony,” said Ryan Malony, director of operations for Plum EMS.
At the ceremony, a list of names was read from each group of first responders who died during the attacks. Malony read a list of 10 EMS workers who lost their lives. After each set of names, a bell rang three times to signify a last call before the rifle salute.
“When that happened, it was tough to do,” Malony said. “It brought tears to my eyes because we also had seven EMS crewmembers present. To think that these are the people to be running in somewhere to help save someone’s life. That is what 9/11 was. It was everyday people that became heroes that day.”