Pahrump to unite in memory of 9/11

This September 11 is the 25th anniversary of one of the most devastating moments in American history, the 9/11 terrorist attacks that shook the entire nation and claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people in 2001. Though many years have now passed since that fateful day, the memory of what occurred and the incredible upswell of unity that followed continues to reverberate in the minds of millions.

Here in the Pahrump Valley, the Rotary Club has taken point in the effort to make certain that the history of that day is never forgotten and with a major anniversary to honor this year, the club is encouraging the whole community to take the time this Friday to join in the somber remembrance.

Planned for the morning of Sept. 11, the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony will be led by master of ceremonies and Rotarian Jeffrey Dye. Participating in the event as guest speakers will be several local notables, including Rotary President Debra Beatty, past president Roy Mankins, Pahrump Fire and Rescue Chief and Nye County Emergency Management Director Scott Lewis, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill, Nevada Assemblyman Greg Hafen II, Nye County Commissioner Ian Bayne, former commissioner Frank Carbone, Mikey Roohan of KPVM-TV and community activist Reva Braun. Also set to grace the ceremony with their well-known patriotism will be the Nevada Silver Tappers, a tap-dancing group made up of ladies 50 years or better who are dedicated to supporting the community in general, and veterans in particular.

Pastor Doug Landers of South Valley Baptist Church will offer both the invocation and the closing prayer. Nye County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) Honor Guard will have the task of presenting the colors while the audience recites the Pledge of Allegiance and NCSO Sgt. Greg Curtin belts out the national anthem, accompanied by signed interpretation from former Ms. Senior Golden Years Marla Quercia.

There will be a solemn tolling of the bell at intervals throughout the ceremony as well, each marking the precise times at which the four planes involved in the terrorist attacks went down. At 8:46 a.m., the bell will ring in commemoration of American Flight #11, which crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing all aboard along with hundreds in the building. At 9:03 a.m., another bell will ring out for United Flight #175, which collided with the South Tower and also claimed the lives of everyone on board, as well as hundreds in the building.

Then, at 9:37 a.m., the bell will toll for American Flight #77, which met its end when it crashed into the western façade of the Pentagon, taking the lives of 59 people on the plane and 125 military and civilians inside the building. Finally, at 10:03 a.m. the final bell will be rung for United Flight #93, the ultimate destination of which was never reached due to the bravery of the passengers who fought back against the hijackers and ultimately forced the plane to slam into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. All 44 passengers and crew lost their lives in that crash.

The Pahrump Valley Rotary Club’s annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony is set for Friday, Sept. 11 at the First Responders Reflection Area inside the Calvada Eye. The ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m.

For more information, visit PVRotaryClub.org or contact the club on its Facebook page.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com