St. Joseph Medical Center in Mishawaka held a September 11 remembrance ceremony Wednesday to mark the 24th anniversary of the attacks.
A steel beam from Ground Zero served as the focal point as community members and first responders gathered to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost. The Mishawaka Fire Department led a traditional bell ceremony to remember fallen firefighters.
Assistant Chief Josh Jester said the attacks remain deeply personal for those in the fire service, even as time passes.
“It’s unique now. We get farther and farther away, right? We’ve got more people in our department. We even got some that weren’t alive, right? We’ve got some firefighters that are younger than 24,” Jester said. He reflected on the sacrifice made by New York City firefighters on September 11.
“Those guys knew when they were going to that call, the chances of coming home weren’t very high. And they still went in anyways, so that’s the best of what the fire service has to offer,” he said. Jester also said the memorial at St. Joseph Health, which includes a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, carries deep meaning for his department.
“It’s incredible. St. Joe, obviously they have the piece here. They also donated a piece that we have in our Station Four just to show that they take what happened 9/11 seriously,” Jester said. For him, the ceremony also serves as a reminder of how the country came together after the attacks.
“There weren’t different sides of the political spectrum. None of that happened. It was just Americans caring about other Americans. And that’s what today’s all about,” he said. The commemoration also featured music, including Gregory Alan Michael’s performance of his original song “American Lullaby” and the playing of Taps.
