Members of James E. Marshall Post 187 execute the first of three volleys in remembrance of the lives lost on September 11, 2001.

American Legion James E. Marshall Post 187 Winfield conducted its annual “Remembering 9/11” memorial on September 11, at the front steps of the Putnam County Courthouse in Winfield.

Remembrance of the horrific attack which destroyed the World Trade Center 24 years ago is an annual event for the Post because images of the attack were etched upon the minds of all who watched the collapse of the two towers.

Legionnaire Kennedy Bright described the events of that day and recalled the thoughts that raced through his head. When he learned that a plane had crashed into the first Trade Center Tower, he knew it was an act of war. Unlike the infamous attack upon Pearl Harbor in 1941, the enemy was unknown. It was an evil act fueled by hatred of the American way of life.

In his presentation, Bright relived the precise moments of each crash as the day unfolded. His descriptions were punctuated by the striking the bell mounted above the old courthouse door. The somber ring captured in part that which all patriotic Americans felt in their hearts when they witnessed the first and then the second plane crash into the twin towers.

The ceremony commenced with prayer by Chaplain David Bell and the singing of the National Anthem by Margie Stockton. The observance closed with the firing of three volleys from seven rifles and the playing of Taps.