Sept. 11 in Columbia began with firefighters escorted by police officers walking across town offering prayers for first responders.
Columbia Fire Department Capt. Nathan Guy carried an American flag and a flag with the names of the firefighters and police officers lost on 9/11. People across the country marked the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa., which had been commandeered by terrorists.
At City Park, a small crowd gathered around 8 a.m. as Hearts of Hope presented a program and dedicated Stars of Hope in Memory of service members killed in the recent crash of a military C-130 aircraft in the Mississippi Delta.
Escorted from town by police officers, the Hearts of Hope entourage, led by founder Carlton Thornhill, made its way toward Moorhead and a midday service. The project was part of the Day of Hope, something Thornhill advocates as becoming a national holiday to mark the sacrifices of 9/11 as well as victims and survivors of other tragedies.
For more, see Thursday’s edition of The Columbian-Progress.
