9/11 Anniversary Commemorated in Oconee County

“We must never forget.” This phrase was emphasized at the Walhalla ceremony held Monday morning to commemorate the tragic attacks on the U.S. mainland on September 11, 2001, known as 9-11. A small crowd gathered at Oconee’s 9-11 memorial, most of whom have vivid memories of that day. Many speakers shared their experiences of where they were when they first learned of the attacks on that clear blue morning. Among the speakers was Rev. Tim McCall of Walhalla’s Golden Corner Church and Chief Brandon Shirley of the Keowee Fire Department, who led the group that built Oconee’s memorial. McCall, who was a 16-year-old student in a Walhalla High history class on 9-11, recalled his teacher telling the class that they were witnessing history…

Several Oconee firefighters attended the ceremony. Some even climbed the stairs of the West-Oak High School football stadium repeatedly, a symbolic gesture representing the number of stairs in the World Trade Center buildings that were destroyed…