9/11 Remembrance Ceremony held at Sgt. Robert Wayne Crow, Jr. Armory

The first responders and victims who lost their lives in the horrific September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were honored on Thursday at the Heartland Patriots Festival 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on the grounds of the Sgt. Robert Wayne Crow, Jr. Armory.

After an invocation, a presentation of the Nation’s Colors and the singing of the National Anthem, a reading of the timeline of events on that fateful day took place.

“First of all, these type of things need to continue to happen,” Joplin Mayor Keenan Cortez told NewsTalk KZRG. “We can never forget what happened the morning of September 11, 2001. And this is a great way for our community to rally around those memories and that charge to be the best American citizens that we can be and never forget and never let it happen again. It is my absolute, distinct honor as a Marine Corps veteran to be involved in ceremonies like this, and I look forward to it next year and for many years to come.”

Mayor Cortez continued about how fortunate Joplin is to have such great first responders.

“We’re incredibly blessed,” he said. “And the thing I think that gets lost sometimes in this is these first responders, these men and women that are willing to put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms are neighbors. You know, they’re our clerks at the stores that we go to. They’re the members opening the doors at the churches that we attend. They are just good, solid human beings. And they’ve made the choice and decided to step up and put everything on the line to make sure that you and I can remain as free as we are today.”