LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hundreds of first responders and Louisville citizens gathered at the division of fire headquarters to remember the nearly 3,000 people who died on Sept. 11, 2001, after planes struck the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
What You Need To Know
- Sept. 11, 2021 marks 20 years since the devastating 9/11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 Americans
- A steel beam from the World Trade Center was on site for the 9/11 ceremony
- The Louisville Fire Department Honor Guard laid a wreath on the beam, honoring the 343 FDNY firefighters that were killed
- Reading of the names of all Louisville first responders who died in the line of duty took place at The Blue Mass
It's been 20 years since the day the world stood still.
“Ironically I spent that afternoon with my wife preparing for the birth of our son. We thought he was going to come that day, but he actually ended up coming ten days later,” said Chad Greathouse, captain at the Louisville Fire Department.
343 brother firefighters were lost in the September 11th attacks. To honor them, active duty and retired LFD firefighters escorted the steel beam from the LFD Headquarters to the Cathedral of Assumption.
“It's not necessarily about the patriotism or wrapping yourself in the flag. It’s about professionalism, it's about those firefighters, those first responders that stepped up knowing that there's a potential danger but, 'I'm going to do my job, I'm going to do it well, to try and protect those who I serve,' and that's what they did,” said Brian O’Neill, captain at the Louisville Fire Department.
The Louisville Fire Department honored those lives lost as a piece of that day was with them: a steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center.
Chad Greathouse has served as a firefighter for nearly 20 years and a member of the LFD Honor Guard for nearly a decade.
“It's special, it's a complete honor and I feel humbled to be a part of this honor guard,” Greathouse said. “As myself and two other members will be laying that wreath on that piece of steel representing not only the 343 FDNY firefighters but also all the other individuals from other first responder agencies who perished that day as well as the near 3,000 civilians.”
He was grateful for the chance to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“It is a regret of mine that I never served in the military but I enjoy the military style and I enjoy what the honor guard represented, so when I saw the opportunity, I took it,” Greathouse said.
Louisville will never forget – not just what happened on 9/11, but here in their own city, every day.
“To remember that was the largest rescue effort that any firefighters have ever carried out," Greathouse said. "Tens of thousands of people evacuated from those structures, lives saved because of their duty because of their professionalism to get those people out,”
A Blue Mass was held at the cathedral of assumption where there was a reading of the names of all Louisville first responders who have died in the line of duty.