9/11 Remembered at Candlelight Vigil
By Christina Knauss
September 11 is a day that now holds a searing significance in American history, but it's a date that especially packs an emotional punch for New Yorkers.
This year was the first time since that terrible day that Chathip Leek and her family did not observe the 9/11 anniversary in New York. Chathip, her husband and children moved to the Little River area in mid-summer from Long Island, and she wondered if the day would receive as much attention as back in New York.
On the evening of 9/11, she got to see how North Myrtle Beach observed the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed more than 3,000 Americans.
"Down here, it's just another day to most people," said Chatthong Muxie, who moved to Little River from Long Island only two months before 9/11 and attended the ceremony with the Leek family. "We just need to show remembrance for this event. A lot of the younger generation now doesn't understand what was lost that day, how many people, how many firefighters were lost in one day."
The second annual Candlelight Memorial Vigil was held in the Ocean Drive section of the city. The celebration featured local singers and musicians, speeches by local dignitaries, and patriotic songs and symbols galore.
The vigil was sponsored by the City of North Myrtle Beach, as well as many local businesses and civic organizations including the Lions Club and American Legion. Local members of Woodmen of the World passed out hundreds of small American flags and glow sticks for people to use during the vigil.
Locals and visitors were invited to hold large American flags and stand in lines along Main Street at the beginning of the ceremony. The flag bearers then processed down the street to stand near the stage. Hundreds of others attended the event, including many people in town for the S.O.S. Fall Migration.
The hour-long ceremony started with a roar from dozens of motorcycles ridden by members of Rolling Thunder Grand Strand SC3, a group that promotes patriotism and concern for prisoners of war and those declared MIA.
Color guards from the Marine Corps League, the North Myrtle Beach High School JROTC, North Myrtle Beach Public Safety and Fire Department then marched down Main Street to the main stage next to the O.D. Pavilion.
A color guard from the Carolinas Chapter of Fire Department of New York Retirees marched, and FDNY retiree Larry Tracey also spoke later in the evening. Tracey spent time at the World Trade Center site after its collapse, helping other firefighters dig to locate the bodies of victims.
"Many in this country are too willing to put these events behind them, in the past," Tracey said. "As we look back and reflect on that day, however, we also see among us courageous and compassionate Americans who remember. Let's stand tall for what's right about America, and pray the victims' families find peace and comfort. You can honor the hundreds of emergency works and first responders who died by thanking police, fire and EMS personnel. Their everyday effort is a living memorial to those who died on 9/11."
The Myrtle Beach Regional Pipe Band played throughout the evening, including a moving rendition of "Amazing Grace" while a memorial wreath was presented to members of the North Myrtle Beach police and fire departments.
As the sun set and darkness descended, the crowd processed quietly to the beach, where a bugler played "Taps" while the wreath was given to members of the city Beach Patrol who placed it on a rescue board on the back of a personal watercraft. A Patrol member then took the wreath out to sea.
The wreath ceremony was a dramatic scene, with hundreds of red and blue glow sticks casting light on the scene, along with the red and yellow lights of Beach Patrol trucks lined up on one side of the beach.
At the end of the evening, Leek said she, her husband and children were impressed with what they saw.
"It was very moving and impressive," she said. "It was different from any 9/11 memorial I've seen before, and we'll definitely be back out here for it next year."
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