Retired Army Col. Alexander Conyers asked those gathered at Hayes and Evonne Samuels Park to imagine nearly every person in Manning suddenly gone.
Almost 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Manning’s population, Conyers noted, is approximately 3,800.
“Imagine going to bed tonight, waking up tomorrow, and 3,000 people from Manning are no longer with us, leaving only 800,” he said.
The comparison brought the scale of the nation’s loss home Friday morning as the City of Manning marked the 25th anniversary of the attacks with its annual Patriot Day ceremony.
The program, themed “We Remember,” honored those killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as well as the first responders, members of the military and others whose service continued long after that September morning.
Mayor Julia Nelson welcomed those gathered before Manning Police Chief Sean Briley led the Pledge of Allegiance. Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley delivered a Scripture reading, and retired Chief Warrant Officer 3 Linda W. Hilton, commander of American Legion Carter-Sullivan Post 204, offered the prayer.
Hilton prayed for the families who continue to mourn, those who developed health problems because of their exposure following the attacks and those who answered the call to serve.
“We ask your blessing upon those that gave their service,” she prayed, asking that those gathered remember “not only those that lost their lives, but also those that gave their service.”
Nelson introduced Conyers as a childhood friend and “hometown son” who played marbles and in the mud while growing up in Manning before embarking on a career that would include nearly three decades of military service.
Conyers, now the 13th president of South Carolina State University, retired from the Army with the rank of colonel. His assignments included service in Afghanistan and two years at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he served at the detention facility holding those accused of planning the 9/11 attacks.
“I’ve seen up close and personal many, many sides of this issue, and words cannot express what our country lost that day and in the aftermath,” Conyers said.
He recalled Sept. 11, 2001, beginning like any other Tuesday. People went to work and school, first responders changed shifts and hospital employees began their day.
Then, in a matter of moments, the nation changed forever.
Conyers said those old enough to remember the attacks can often recall exactly where they were and what they were doing when the news broke. His wife, Agatha, called him crying, and his first thought was that something had happened to their son.
Their son was safe. Thousands of other sons, daughters, spouses, parents, grandparents and friends did not return home.
Across the country, the names of those killed are read aloud each year, ensuring they are not forgotten, Conyers said.
“It’s been said that you die twice: once when you draw your last breath, and then the last time is when your name is called for the last time,” he said. “So for 25 years, we’ve ensured that those lives we lost are still with us by remembering them and calling their names year after year after year.”
Conyers also spoke about the sense of unity that emerged from the tragedy, reminding those gathered that the firefighters and other responders who rushed toward danger did not stop to ask about political affiliation, race, ethnicity or gender.
“We were all Americans on that day and the days following, helping one another, because at that very moment, it was all about helping and saving human life,” he said.
That spirit, he said, is one of the most important parts of Sept. 11 to remember.
Conyers recognized the first responders attending the ceremony, many of whom were already serving their communities 25 years ago. Their continued service, he said, means leaving home each day without knowing what dangers may await or whether they will return to their families.
“Although we honor those today who gave their lives 25 years ago, we also want to thank those who continue to serve in the face of adversity,” he said. “I want to say to our first responders, thank you. I want to say to our military veterans, thank you for your service.”
Dr. Brenda C. Clark, accompanied by musician Bryant Dingle, offered a musical tribute with “I Can Only Imagine.”
As the ceremony drew to a close, Nelson shared the story of a Clarendon County resident whose sister was killed in the World Trade Center. The woman had married only two months before the attacks.
Nelson invited her to attend the ceremony and speak about the loss, but the woman declined. Twenty-five years later, Nelson said, the grief remains too painful for her to watch or attend memorial services.
“She said to me that she cannot — or she hasn’t — watched any of the memorial services in the past 25 years, nor does she participate in any, because the hurt is still so fresh,” Nelson said.
Nelson asked those gathered to continue praying for the families left behind and for those who put their lives at risk each day.
“Let us remember the unity and resilience that we had that day,” she said, “and let it become more evident for our nation and our fellow man.”
