Belleville Community Gathers to Commemorate 9/11 in Moving Ceremony
The September 11 Memorial Walkway of Southern Illinois served as the site of the 14th annual Moment of Remembrance Ceremony in Belleville.
BELLEVILLE - The Belleville community gathered for a ceremony to remember the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks today.
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On Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, community members and leaders met at the September 11 Memorial Walkway of Southern Illinois in Belleville. This memorial stands year-round outside of the Belleville Fire Department, but the space took on special significance on the 24th anniversary of 9/11 as community members, first responders and elected officials commemorated the bravery and sacrifice of those who were affected.
“Today, we come together in Southern Illinois to remember those who were killed and those who survived the attack,” said Sharon Strausbaugh, chairperson of the September 11 Memorial Walkway of Southern Illinois Committee. “We’re here to honor the sacrifices of the first responders and the recovery workers who ran toward danger to aid and to rescue, and to recapture the spirit of unity and service that developed in the aftermath of the attacks and exists still today.”
The Belleville Fire Department and Belleville Police Department Honor Guards, along with the Belleville Firefighters Pipes and Drums, presented the colors. Patti McDaniel, a retired firefighter and EMT and sergeant with the Illinois State Police, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
George Gasparich led the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an invocation by Deacon Douglas L. Boyer, MSCM, of the Diocese of Belleville. Belleville Mayor Jenny Meyer spoke of the strength of the U.S. and the people who united after 9/11 to support the nation.
“This day serves as a reminder of the resilience of our great nation, inspiring us to come together and overcome adversity,” shared Meyer.
Belleville Fire Chief Curt Lougeay noted that Sept. 11 is “not just a date on the calendar, but a scar that has never fully healed” for those who are in the “brotherhood” of fire service. Police Department Captain Todd Keilbach echoed Lougeay, adding that Americans have “emerge[d] stronger and more unified” from the tragedy.
Both Keilbach and Lougeay recognized the police officers, firefighters and EMTs who serve the community every day. They expressed their respect for the first responders who were on the scene on 9/11.
Brig. Gen. Douglas Jackson, U.S. Transportation Command Global Operations Center Chief at Scott Air Force Base, was recognized as the featured speaker. Jackson commended the “heroic” first responders who served in 2001, but he also recognized those who became first responders and military members in the months and years following 9/11.
“As they rose from the ashes as a symbol of hope, the post-9/11 volunteers for civil service within the United States are the phoenixes of Sept. 11,” he said. “Post-9/11 volunteers had not yet sworn that oath and had not yet affirmed that commitment, making their willingness to do so under such fear and uncertainty all the more extraordinary…We are blessed to have gained so many outstanding teammates in the wake of the unspeakable horrors of 9/11.”
He expressed his hope to see “the legacies of the lives lost” on 9/11 remembered for years to come at ceremonies like Belleville’s.
McDaniel concluded the ceremony by singing “America the Beautiful,” and Dr. Thomas Birkner of the music department at Southwestern Illinois College performed “Taps.” The Belleville Firefighters Pipes and Drums performed “Amazing Grace,” and the Honor Guards retired the colors.
Strausbaugh added that donations make it possible to maintain the September 11 Memorial Walkway of Southern Illinois. She encouraged people to visit the memorial’s official webpage for more information, including how to support the memorial.
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