QUINCY, ILL. -- Saturday marked the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedies. Here in the Tri-States, our local veterans and first responders were honored for all of their years of service. Saturday in Quincy, past and present veterans, firefighters, police and EMS as well as volunteers with the Red Cross were recognized at the Illinois Veterans Home off North 12th Street.
Pam Arnold with the Red Cross, worked at Ground Zero for almost a month as a mental health counselor for emergency responders.
"I'll never forget, what I saw, what I felt, what I smelled. But that's okay because I'm alive. But it always makes me realize what's important and now I go out for the Red Cross whenever they need me to," said Pam Arnold. "I realized what's important in my life after being there, my God, my family, that's the most important thing to think about. It was so moving to see that there were still people being pulled out when I was there, it just made me realize how important life is, to live every moment."
Prior to the service, first responders were treated to a luncheon, beginning at noon. Rev. Bob Morwell with Union United Methodist Church in Quincy was one of the event organizers.
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The churches of Quincy were also asked to toll their bells on Saturday, Sept. 11, in honor and memory of those who died during attacks in 2001.
A special 9/11 committee was formed to organize volunteer activities that day, which included the ringing of the bells at the times when each of the towers collapsed in New York, killing over 2,000 people.
The South Tower fell at 8:59 a.m. (Central Time) and the North Tower collapsed at 9:28 a.m. (Central Time).
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