The Veterans Memorial Park Board held a ceremony in Wichita on Wednesday for the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the U.S.
The ceremony took place at the Operation Freedom Memorial at Veterans Memorial Park near Central and Veterans Parkway near downtown Wichita. During the event, the American Legion Post 4 Honor Guard fired a 3-volley salute and then a bugler sounded TAPS for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
A ceremony was also held at the Kansas Firefighters Museum in Wichita, where fragments of beams from the World Trade Center is on display. The 9-11 World Trade Center Beams exhibit is from the Oaklawn Children’s Museum in Illinois. The centerpiece of the exhibit is two beams from the Trade Center, and the themes of the exhibit focus on unity, friendship, helping and patriotism.The Wichita Police and Fire Foundation is sponsoring the exhibit from September 7th through November 23rd, and it will be open to the public every Saturday for viewing.
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Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has ordered flags in the state to be flown at half staff on Wednesday, from sunup to sundown. The governor issued a statement for the anniversary:
“We will never forget the thousands who were injured and the nearly 3,000 Americans whose lives were tragically taken during an act of terrorism 23 years ago. Despite the extreme tragedy of the day that scarred so many of us, we also remember the bravery and courage of our nation’s first responders who went above and beyond to save lives – even as they lost more than 400 of their own. On behalf of the State of Kansas, I thank them for their service and sacrifices.”
