![On Friday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m., College of the Ozarks will hold a special ceremony to commemorate the lives of those who perished in the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.]()
On Friday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m., College of the Ozarks will hold a special ceremony to commemorate the lives of those who perished in the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
On Friday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m., College of the Ozarks will hold a special ceremony to commemorate the lives of those who perished in the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend the ceremony.
The ceremony will be held at the Lest We Forget 9/11 Memorial located next to the Point Lookout Fire Department on James Forsythe Drive on the College of the Ozarks campus.
Special guest speaker retired Navy Rear Adm. Hank Molinengo is a distinguished military lawyer, educator, and community volunteer who served more than 26 years in the Navy, including key leadership roles during the Global War on Terror.
While serving as executive assistant to the judge advocate general of the Navy, Molinengo was in the Pentagon during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In the days that followed, he participated in planning the nation’s military response. He later served as Legal Counsel to the Chief of Naval Personnel, addressing sensitive legal matters related to the Global War on Terror.
The ceremony will include a welcome by Dr. Brad Johnson, president of College of the Ozarks; music from the College of the Ozarks Concert Band; the raising of the New York State 9/11 Memorial Flag by Hollister Police Chief Robert Stirewalt and David Kempf, College of the Ozarks director of public safety; a special presentation by the School of the Ozarks fifth-grade students; and a symbolic volley by Chris Huston, interim fire chief of the Branson Fire Department, and Jim Furgerson, fire chief of Western Taney County Fire Protection District.
“At College of the Ozarks, our Lest We Forget Remembrance Ceremony is about more than remembering the events of September 11, 2001,” said Chassidy Brittain, director of patriotic activities. “It is about honoring the lives that were lost, recognizing the extraordinary courage of our first responders and service members, and ensuring that a new generation understands both the cost of our freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. Twenty-five years later, we remain committed to telling these stories so that the sacrifice, unity, and patriotism displayed on that day are never forgotten.”