Madison County Fire Department hosts commemoration in honor of 9/11

MADISON COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - Americans marked the 25th anniversary of the events of September 11 on Friday. In Madison County, a group of people gathered at the Madison County Volunteer Fire Station for a commemoration.

The event was organized by members of Mt. Zion Baptist Church at Oak Park and the Shiloh Baptist Association.

James Robinson was one of the speakers at the event, leading the crowd in prayer and highlighting the importance of unity in difficult times.

“It was a good turnout for this county. We’re a small county, but we’re a strong county. We have a lot of values here. Good values that mean a lot to us,” Robinson said.

Robinson recounted moments of grief and moments of hope that followed the attacks.

“It’s very important because this is a fabric. And goal is to become one whole garment. And when one strand breaks, we become weaker. When one falls, we come to their aid,” Robinson said.

Friday morning’s event drew a sea of people. Though everyone waded through their emotions differently, one thing was very clear - that nobody was alone in navigating these times.

Troy Coppage, chief of the Madison County Fire Department, spoke about the unity that followed the attacks.

“The unity around our country for the days and weeks, unfortunately, was short-lived. I think the thing I’d like to see is the unity that we saw on 9-12,” Coppage said.

Coppage said the commemoration is about continuing the legacy of the sacrifices made on Sept. 11.

“The lives lost that day we can put a number on, but the damage that was done, the physical, emotional damage that was caused that day, we can’t really put a number on it that continues to affect families today,” Coppage said.

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