CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Inside the hall of the Good Hope Fire Station in Hampden Township, Cumberland County, community members gathered to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
Twenty-one years later, it’s a day many have only ever known through stories, documentaries, and social media posts.
“Some of us have grandchildren that weren't even born on Sept. 11 that are in high school today," Hampden Township Veterans Recognition Committee Chair Gary Coburn said.
Retired Vice Admiral Keith Lippert and keystone speaker said he believes all should hear the stories to never forget.
“It's education at the schools and in families, making sure that they relay what this day was like and what it really meant," Lippert said.
The veteran of nearly four decades stressed the need to remind and reflect.
“Our life changed," Lippert said. "I think every American should be aware of what that day was, what those memorials mean for and, and also the life that was lost during that whole time.”
The ceremony included the presentation of colors and the striking of the four fives, as well as renditions of the national anthem, God Bless America, and Taps.
In his closing remarks, Coburn highlighted all the people who should live on in memory.
"Never forget, for those who sat in terror on the planes, for those who never saw it coming in the buildings, and those who jumped instead of burning," Coburn said in his closing remarks. “For the firefighters who never stopped fighting. For the police officers who never stopped protecting. For the paramedics who never stopped giving aid. For the ordinary people who became extraordinary examples of courage. For the loved ones of the lost, and the lost themselves. And lastly, for the uncommon valor in the face of unspeakable evil that we witnessed. It's for all of those reasons today that we are here and why we should always remember 9/11.”
The event was originally scheduled to be held at Hampden Township Veterans Park but was moved inside to due rainy weather conditions.
Download the FOX43 News.