9/11 Memorial Service at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park

Speakers and guests recall terrorist attacks, sacrifices, during annual 9/11 Memorial Service.

Diane and Philip Rosler are glad to see annual events like the 9/11 Memorial Service that took place at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park on Sept. 11 and marked the 23rd anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks. The couple was working in the Twin Towers area on Sept 11, 2001, and saw firsthand the impact of the attacks and suffered a family loss.

“It never leaves you and you never forget,” said Diane Rosler.

Philip Rosler was working in the New York court system at the time. He said his cousin, Tom McHale, 33, was in the north tower and died as a result of the attack.

The memorial service was sponsored by Marion County Veterans Services. Emcee Matthew Cretul introduced Marion County Board of County Commissioners Chair Michelle Stone for opening remarks.

“For most of us, just mentioning 9/11 brings back that sickening, surreal feeling of disbelief,” she said, adding that we lost people from “all walks of life” from 90 countries.

“We are here also today to honor the first responders in our community and around the country, in addition to the hundreds of thousands who have served in our armed forces here at home abroad to fight for freedom. Today is about honoring the heroism that rose from this destruction,” Stone stated

Stone called for support for first responders, military and victims’ families and a renewed commitment to uphold American values.

Marion County Fire Rescue Chaplain Joe LaCognata offered an invocation and MCBCC Vice Chair Kathy Bryant sang the national anthem.

A combined color guard was formed by members of the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard, Marion County Fire Rescue, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Fire Rescue and the Ocala Police Department. John Earl provided bagpipe music.

MCFR Chief James Banta offered “a 9/11 perspective from a firefighter’s lens.” He spoke of a “day that changed the world” and how the sacrifice during the tragic events opened his eyes about training and preparation. He also spoke of “community, service and sacrifice.”

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods referred to the attacks as events that “define who we are” and recalled speaking with his grandmother about the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.

“It warms my heart to see the children here,” Woods said. He said we should never forget those who made the “ultimate sacrifice” to help others and never forget the tragedy.

A timeline of the 9/11 attacks was given by OPD Lt. Eric Hooper and a “last call” by 911 dispatch was played on the address system.

According to history.com, the north tower of the World Trade Center was struck at 8:45 a.m. on
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, by an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of fuel. The 110-story tower was damaged from the 93rd story to the 99th story.

About 18 minutes later, a United Airlines Boeing 767 “sliced into the south tower between the 77th and 85th floors.”

“At the World Trade Center, 2,763 died after the two planes slammed into the twin towers. That figure includes 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers who were struggling to complete an evacuation of the buildings and save the office workers trapped on higher floors,” the site states.

The Pentagon was struck at 9:45 a.m. that morning by an American Airlines Boeing 757, Flight 77. “All told, 125 military personnel and civilians were killed in the Pentagon, along with all 64 people aboard the airliner,” the website notes.

United Flight 93, which had been hijacked, crashed into the ground in a “rural field” in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:10 a.m. on Sept. 11, after passengers confronted the hijackers, according to the website. Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer was heard through an “open line” to say, “Let’s roll,” to a group of passengers preparing to fight the hijackers. All 44 persons aboard perished when the plane crashed into the ground, but the actions of the passengers likely averted a strike at possibly at one of several targets, including the White House, the website indicates.

OFR Chief Clint Welborn spoke about the meaning of ringing bells in fire stations. The “striking of the bell” is a ceremonial ringing of four groups of five strikes.

Taps was sounded and County Commissioner Matt Mc Clain delivered closing remarks.

Honored guests included Howard Mautner, 100, a World War II veteran and Cookie Burke, a Vietnam War era veteran.

Jose Navarro, 79, and his wife Gladys, sat close to the stage. The couple and their sons, Jose Jr. and Alexandro, were living in New York at the time of the attacks.

Hank Whittier, executive director of Marion County Veterans Helping Veterans, said he was in his office in the Veterans Affairs medical clinic in the Cascades office complex on Sept.11, 2001. He said he thought initially the plane crash was an accident.

Both Philip and Diane Rosler, who moved here in 2023, want to see annual 9/11 memorials go on. 

“It’s absolutely important that these memorials continue,” said Diane Rosler.