9/11 Memorial Ceremony

On September 11th, 2001, four hijacked commercial airliners crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. By the time the smoke cleared, nearly 3,000 people had been killed. 24 years later, we still remember, and we still mourn.

In remembrance, Rockingham Community College held a ceremony on Thursday at 11:00 AM in front of the Gerald B. James Library. 

The ceremony began with an opening prayer from Eli Josey, an RCC student.

"We pray for the ones who lost loved ones that day, and all the first responders who suffered trauma."

Following the prayer, History Professor Deirdre Kearney gave a heartfelt speech to the crowd.

"The world changed that day..." Ms. Kearney said, standing under the American flag at half-staff. "It brought to us 20 years of war, first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq, where 6,700 American service personnel were killed."

Along with telling the story of the attacks, she also highlighted a startling fact.

"1,100 people have still not been identified," said Ms. Kearney. "40% of all of the victims." To this day, the New York City Medical Examiner continues to identify remains, with the most recent identification a few weeks ago.

As the speech came to a close, Ms. Kearney gave this message:

"Let us stop for a moment on this day, to honor all of those who died or were wounded as a result of the attack."

"Let us also remember the sacrifices made by all of their families. May they all find peace."