IN MEMORY — Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7034 (photo above) conduct military rites during last Sunday's community-wide service honoring the victims of last September's terrorist attacks. Pictured on the dais at Woodruff Field are State Sen. Virginia Foxx (from left), Main Street Coordinator Barbara Lucier, who served as the mistress of ceremonies, and a member of the Dank Mountain Boys, who provided special music.

Locals gather for ceremony commemorating Sept. 11

About 300 local citizens gathered at Alleghany High School's Woodruff Field last Sunday for a prayer and remembrance service to honor the victims, their families and the emergency workers who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The service was kicked off with a siren call, with fire trucks and emergency vehicles from Cherry Lane, Glade Creek, Laurel Springs, Piney Creek, Sparta and Alleghany EMS circling the track while sounding their sirens. VFW Post No. 7034 presented the colors, while Matthew Kelly sang the national anthem. Prayers, laying of wreaths in honor of emergency services and military personnel and a special bluegrass music tribute by the Dank Mountain Boys from Grayson County, Va. preceded the keynote speaker of the day, N.C. State Senator Virginia Foxx.

The ceremony was completed with "Amazing Grace," a 21-gun salute, Taps and the benediction by the Rev. James Worrell.

"I thought it was very moving and somewhat emotional," commented Mistress of Ceremonies Barbara Lucier. "It was reflective of the feelings from what happened last year....It was just very moving."

In the photo above left, firefighters from the Cherry Lane Volunteer Fire Department exude patriotism while honoring the heroes of Sept. 11 during the service's parade featuring local emergency departments and personnel.

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News! Back