On Sunday, churches across the county offered special services designed to remember the victims and their families of the tragic events of 9/11.

A ceremony was held at Milan to honor Col. Canfield “Buddy” Boone who graduated from Milan High School in 1966 and perished at the age of 53 in the Pentagon attack where he worked for the National Guard.

A large crowd gathered at the memorial that was put in place after Col. Boone’s death at the Daren Baker Memorial Park in Milan, thanks to the efforts of the Milan American Legion, VFW and Lions Club members. Boone’s family was at ceremonies at the Pentagon on Sunday. His mother, Gail and sister, Deanne DeMotte from Milan, joined other family members at a ceremony for victims only.

They were joined by another sister, Joy Caplinger of Shelbyville and Boone’s widow Linda and sons.

Ten years ago Boone’s mother told the Osgood Journal she couldn’t imagine why this had happened.

Today, at 98, she still can’t get over the loss of her beloved son. Members of the Boone family are regulars at the Milan memorial and regretted not being there for the service on Sunday.

The weather was as beautiful on Sunday as it was ten years ago when the terrorist attacks were carried out on the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and the field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Students from Milan Elementary School and Boy Scouts from Pack 631 participated in the ceremony at Milan. They lowered the flags that had flown over the Capitol that were presented earlier to Milan in honor of Col. Boone by Representative Randy Frye. Those participating were: Al King, Scout Master; Eli King, Eagle Scout, Jerry Palmar, Alex Volz, Nolan Hancock, Kevin McKinney and Devon Rosenberger. The Flag Corp consisted of Cameron Henkel, Hunter Gray and Isaac Rosenberger.

The Moores Hill American Legion also participated in the event with members from both the Milan and Moores Hill groups lining the path to the memorial stone. Veterans from the Milan VFW also participated in the ceremony.

A beautiful wreath of red, white, and blue flowers, was laid at the stone by Dan Baker, Milan Police Department and Greg Davidson, Milan Fire Department. There was a 21-gun salute followed by taps. Ron Mills, commander of the Milan American Legion, emceed the ceremony.

Osgood remembers
Special tribute was paid to firefighters, EMS and police who perished on 9/11 at a ceremony at the Fairgrounds Park in Osgood on Sunday. The event was planned by members of the Osgood Volunteer Fire Department where all the victims of 9/11 were remembered. A special honor was given to our military with soldiers from the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center on hand for the day.

A large flag welcomed those attending the event hoisted high in the air by trucks from Southeastern Indiana REMC.

Bagpiper Mark Morton of Rising Sun, flanked by Patriot Guard riders Ed Schmidt of Osgood and Steve Powers of Napoleon, escorted the Osgood Volunteer Fire Dept. truck draped with black to begin the impressive ceremony at the open stage.

They were followed by Osgood American Legion members, soldiers from MUTC, the Indiana State Police Honor Guard District 4, who were escorted by Patriot Guard riders Jerry Burnett and Jackie Osborne, with the Jac-Cen-Del Band bringing up the end.

“You may or may not know any victims, but they’ll always be in our hearts. Never forget 9/11,” began Osgood firefighter Kyle Negangard. President of the Osgood Volunteer Fire Company, Norman Kappes, said every year the department hosts a pork chop dinner on the second Sunday of September. “This year’s event just happened to fall on September 11 and the OVFD knew they had an opportunity to honor the lives lost ten years ago. Man, did we do something! This is awesome!” he said, referring to the turnout.

State Representative and retired Indianapolis firefighter Randy Frye was the keynote speaker at the event that drew a large crowd estimated around 1500.

The staggering statistics of 2,977 victims killed including 245 on planes, 2,606 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon, of which 55 were military personnel were heard from Representative Frye. “More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks on the World Trade Center,” he noted.

He said the terrorists tried to destroy the freedom, economy, and fabric that is America. “They did not succeed.” Several times throughout the ceremony Frye was stopped by the rousing applause from the crowd. This was one of those moments.

“What they failed to understand and still do today is America is much more than a nation. America is much more than a collection of 50 states united within a union. The spirit of America and the freedom she represents lives in the hearts of all loyal Americans,” Frye told those gathered. “Most of us will have memories of that day for the rest of our lives, but let us not forget the lives of the victims who were murdered that day,” he continued.

He said firefighters rushed into the building that day because, “that’s what we do.” He said he prayed as he watched the horror unfolding and knew there would be firefighters who would perish. Why? Because he said in his 26 years as a professional firefighter he never once had to encourage a firefighter to do his duty. “It’s what we do,” he said again.

Rev. Don Buck of the Osgood First Baptist Church offered the “fireman’s” prayer, with the JCD band, under the direction of Glenn Unklesby, performing the National Anthem and Taps.

Several surrounding fire departments brought trucks and apparatus along with the Army, Navy and Marine Corp being represented.

It was a day to remember with a fly-over by St. Vincent Health, formerly PHI, completing the ceremony.

The F.A.R.M. Club along with the Osgood Vol. Fire Dept. hosted a Freedom Pull (see this week's The Versailles Republican sports pages for coverage), and three bands played throughout the afternoon. The day ended with a display of fireworks amidst the glow of the flag.

Military remembered
The events of 9/11 continue to impact citizens in our area today.

A memorial ride was held Saturday, September 10 in honor of Cpl. John Bishop, who was killed while serving his country in Afghanistan on September 8, 2010. The ride was a one-year remembrance of the Marine’s death with all proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Fund for families who have also lost loved ones in the fight against terror.

Organizers of the event noted that approximately 75 motorcyclists participated in the first time event that culminated at the Versailles American Legion Park after a six-hour ride.

Traffic was delayed slightly by Indiana State Police Trooper Kyle Black and Ripley County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark McConnell as the motorcyclists made their way from the legion park into Versailles to the Cliff Hill Cemetery, the final resting place of Cpl. Bishop.

Among the riders were Cpl. Bishop’s widow, Crystal, along with his mother, Sarah Thomas, and brothers, sisters and other family members of the slain Marine. There were riders from various legion groups and Patriot Guard riders, who constantly stayed with the family and fellow Marines who had served with Cpl. Bishop in Afghanistan who procured weekend passes for the event to honor their fallen brother. Also, the Marine headquarters sent support for Bishop’s widow in the form of other Marines for the event.

Riders from as far away as Michigan, Illinois, and the Carolinas rolled into place.

Also attending the event was the taxi driver who is given so many thanks from the Bishop family.

Chris Gannon, Philadelphia, PA, was at his post with the USO at the airport in Philadelphia the day Marine Thomas Praxedes came through in his “dress blues”. “I knew he was on a mission,” Gannon told the Osgood Journal.

Praxedes had served with Bishop on two tours in Iraq and flew from California to Philadelphia and was headed to Dover Air Force Base, where he would escort his Marine brother’s body home for his final honors. He was about two hours away from the Dover Air Force Base where he needed to be and needed a taxi.

Gannon had worked the graveyard shift, but after he was off-duty at 6 a.m., he drove the Marine the two-hour drive and would not accept payment.

The gesture of kindness was not lost on the Bishop family. As they learned about his generous act of kindness, they stayed in contact with him. When Gannon learned of the memorial ride, he decided he wanted to be there.

Gannon is very patriotic and when the Navy Seals were killed recently in Afghanistan, he volunteered to help many of the families to get to their destinations. “It’s what I can do,” he said, saying he doesn’t think of it as anything special, just one American helping another.

Helping someone else from the tragedy was the theme of the day with Bishop’s mother telling the Osgood Journal, “This is for everyone who has lost a loved one in this war.” It is also a way for her son’s name to be spoken. She feels that when his name is no longer spoken, he will be forgotten. “That will never happen,” she affirmed.

The two-days packed with memories of 9/11 came to a close as the Osgood Volunteer Firemen shot off fireworks into the night sky on Sunday evening at dusk.