(Photos by Bruce Rolfe)
By Bruce Rolfe
It was a mostly quiet and somber environment as a group of local firefighters, a couple wives, and friends made their way up and down the steps at the football stadium at Vicksburg High School in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb September 11.
The 9/11 Memorial stair climbers obviously had those who lost their lives that day on their minds.
Just a short distance away on the football field, young students from high school could be seen laughing and running around the football field.
On a day a group of local firefighters gathered to remember firefighters, police, medical first responders, and others that lost their lives during the terrorist attacks, some are worried 23 years later there may be a little disconnect.
The event was put on by the Kalamazoo Chapter of the Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society (Kzoo F.O.O.L.S.).
Participants walked up and down the steps at the VHS football stadium, totaling 2,200 stairs, which equals the number of steps firefighters climbed to reach the highest point in the Twin Towers they got to on 9/11, the 78th floor.
Pavilion Township Fire Chief Carl Poenicke said he was extremely happy to see a pretty good turnout of firefighters including many from his department at the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, but is concerned more and more people may be forgetting how tragic that day was.
“I’m extremely proud of my department. I think we have eight or nine people here plus a couple of wives. They’ve always supported this event. I’m just proud of them because they won’t let it die and they won’t forget. I think the problem is, too many people are forgetting. It’s just a sad state the country’s in. We put it out on social media and it’s less and less each year,” observed the Pavilion Township fire chief.
Each firefighter who participated in the local 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at VHS carried cards with the picture and name of a firefighter who lost their life.
Russ Audette, of the Climax and Pavilion Township Fire Departments, read all 343 names of firefighters who lost their lives at the World Trade Center twin towers September 11, 2011 on the public address speaker at Vicksburg High School during the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Climax Township and Pavilion Township firefighter Russ Audette read all 343 names of firefighters who lost their lives at the World Trade Center twin towers September 11, 2001 on the public address speaker at Vicksburg High School. He hopes more people take the time to learn about each person who lost their lives trying to help others that day.
“I would encourage people to look it up. It’s been 23 years. I hate to say it like this but I think the shine’s kind of went off it,” said Audette, who wore a large number of cards containing pictures of firefighters that lost their lives 9/11 he has accumulated at previous 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs around his neck.
Audette said it was difficult not to get emotional when he glanced over some additional information about family members that were left behind in their bios.
“I try not to read much more then the names, but I can’t help it. They talk a lot of these guys being a great brother, a good son, father, great firefighter, great guy around the house. It’s tough to separate the names from the picture and the little bios. It gets you a little choked up,” said Audette, who has been a member of the Climax Township Fire Department since November, 2015.
“I was on the fire department at the time and I was around, so I was old enough. So a lot of kids here at Vicksburg High School, and all these kids weren’t even born yet when it happened. So 23 years later we’re starting to get a disconnect. And this is our way to remember the day every year,” adds Pavilion Township firefighter Keith Siegwert.
Poenicke hopes the students on the football field who watched the firefighters climb the steps will at least be curious and seek out more information about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“I do hope that the kids are asking questions. Obviously, they weren’t born when this happened. Hopefully, when they sit down at dinner tonight they ask their parents what happened. Where were they when the thing (twin towers) went down,” adds the Pavilion Township fire chief.
Ryn Wright, a firefighter on the City of Battle Creek Fire Department, said he was just five years old when the terrorist attacks occured and doesn’t recall much about that day. He said the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb offers another reason why it is important to have people available to serve.
“For me, it’s about what it really means to serve. We have people in the fire service here, we had a couple of people in the military here. When everyone responded on 9/11 they knew exactly what they were getting in to. There’s an iconic picture of ladder 118 going over the bridge. They knew when they responded. They saw those towers burning and they knew exactly what they signed up for and they went anyways. It’s about putting people above ourselves,” said Wright, who has worked out of Station One in downtown Battle Creek nearly three years and is the current president of the Kalamazoo F.O.O.L.S.
“For me, it’s a good reminder of the sacrifice they paid and that they knew exactly what they were getting in to when the day started,” adds Wright, who has been in fire service a little over seven years, also serving a period of time with the Comstock Fire Department.
Siegwart adds even though the terrorist attacks occured 23 years ago, the impact remains devastating for those who remember the event. He said it seems like the event happened yesterday.
“The events for me will always be there. It was a terrible day,” the Pavilion Township firefighter said.
This group participated in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Vicksburg High School September 11.
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