ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) — A gathering of residents, elected officials and first responders in St. Landry Parish honored those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

Today’s commemoration of 9/11 in St. Landry Parish featured a timeline of the attack on that day in 2001, a flag of honor which consists of over 300 names of those who lost their lives.

“We hear a lot of people speak on remembering where they were at that time,” said Opelousas Fire Chief Bryan Chavis.

“And I think it’s good to remember what we overcame,” said St. Landry Parish Assessor Sherri Mcgovern.

First responders in the city including Chavis say this is also a time to remember the service of firefighters that worked selflessly to save lives

“Hey, were looking at it as they were just doing their job,” said Chavis. “They are getting out there. They’re helping people. They see people in a dire, dire situation. And they’re just doing their job. Never really realized the magnitude of what it actually was that was happening at that time. They were just doing their job.”

With the ceremony also giving time to reflect on their experience of the day, including firefighter Richard Joseph who was in New York shortly after the attack.

“I remember collecting money,” said Joseph. “And when the state first thought about it that we had a local fire department manufacture that field trucking in the state. We came together collecting money to purchase the truck, and I was one of the guys that went to New York to deliver the truck.”

As the 25th anniversary of the event takes place next year, those involved in today’s ceremony stress the importance of continuing to remember.

“I think it will always be ingrained in us,” said Chavis. “There’s always going to be that that remembrance that will be there. It’s just a matter of now having the younger generations. That’s involved right now to start taking those leadership roles and actually keep this in the forefront.”

Latest news