Neuqua Students Honor 9/11 With Personal Testimonies

Early on Friday morning, the sound of bagpipes and drums echoed from the main entrance of , where the student body gathered to memorialize the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The flag was lowered to half-staff after Mayor George Pradel recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Uniformed members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines also attended the service.

The overcast sky served as an appropriate backdrop as students and teachers took to the stage to share their personal experiences from that day.

One student recounted his memories of the day and driving near the Pentagon, when "all of a sudden, I heard the roar of a jet engine. The blast literally rocked all of our cars. It was an incredible moment.”

Most of Neuqua’s students were younger than age 10 when 9/11 occurred.

Guest speaker and former firefighter spoke about his experience doing rescue work at Ground Zero with Missouri Task Force One.

The number of students in Neuqua’s Blue Campus is roughly 3,000. And, by comparison, Wehrli told the students that 3,000 children lost a parent that day. With more than 300 firefighters killed, 300 children lost fathers who were there to help those at the scene in New York City.

“I’d like to leave you with this comment,” he said. “The threats were here before the attacks on 9/11, and they’re here now. We must stay vigilant and prepare to protect our country and city, our future, and our way of life.”

With his sobering reminder, students returned to their first-period classes, accompanied by a somber tune performed by the Firefighters Highland Guard of Naperville. The students had maintained a respectful silence during the service, but afterward, they expressed their reactions.

“That’s why I liked it,” one student said to another in passing. “It really got your emotions.”