The County Remembers at 21st Annual Remembrance “Cry Out America”

Hardeman County promised to never forget, and 21 years after the terrorist attack on America, it is still remembered at the 21st Annual Remembrance “Cry Out America” program held on September 11, 2022, on the Bolivar courthouse square.

Area pastors along with Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic, Hardeman County Mayor Todd Pulse, and United States Representative David Kustoff attended and spoke during the program, which opened with a word of prayer by Pastor Mickey Cossar, a welcome from Eddie Kessler, and an invocation by Associate Minister Willie Parks. Other ministers who spoke during the ceremony included Pastor Josh Clark, Reverend William Young, and Hardeman County Baptist Association Missionary Tommy Warner.

There was a respectful silence as the Bolivar Police Department came with a Presentation of Colors and the Bolivar Fire Department placed a memorial wreath. Kandi Shackelford sang the National Anthem. Other music performers included Willie Brown and Jimmy Azbill, and Tommy Markle played Taps.

Evangelist Craig Beman of Healing Promises Ministries who was the keynote speaker shared his memories of when he first learned of the attacks.

“Our daughter called from Wisconsin and asked her mother ‘Is this the end of the world’,” said Beman. “That is how we were introduced to the plane flying into the 95th floor of the North Tower. We were in shock. We were in awe. It was just something no one expected to happen.”

Beman later was at ground zero eight months after the attack and it was evident by the pause with his words and the occasional trembling in his voice how much the events still haunt him.  

“There was still an incredible amount of dust there eight months after the attack. One of the things I remember the most were the posters . . .,” Beaman said with a heartfelt pause. “Of the people who were lost, missing . . . ‘Have you seen this person?’.”

Beman continued sharing about the one story that made a huge impact on his life and stays with him today. It was the interview of Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick with Connie Chung.

“That interview still impacts me of the poignancy of the grief, of heartbroken, absolute crushing impact that day had on this man,” said Beman. “I guess the title of my message is in the consummation, the completion, the fulfillment of freedom of liberty, there is a cost. Freedom ain’t free folks. As we remember about 9/11, the message from all of us today is we should remember the value that is our freedom.”

Representative Kustoff spoke and agreed with the sentiments of McTizic and Pulse about how the nation came together after the attack. He also praised the men and women who make a pledge to protect their fellow citizens, as well as the civilians on the airplanes who realized their impending deaths and chose to protect others.

“Being in law enforcement, a first responder today is tough. Got a lot of pressures. When they report to work, they never know what the day holds for them,” said Kustoff reflecting on those who reported to work on September 11, 2021. “They pledge to do for us each and every day, and that is not to think about their own safety, but it is to protect all of us. Those men and women, those first responder, those law enforcement, 21 years ago today, they did just that and protected their fellow citizens. Today there are not as many people who want to serve. We still have a lot of good men and women, but we don’t have as many. We should not only remember them (veterans too) on just one day of the year, we ought to do this 365 days of the year. We can never be too appreciative. When you see a policeman, a sheriff’s deputy, a first responder, I encourage you to go up to them and say ‘thank you for what you do for us each and every day.”

Kustoff also noted how much the lives of Americans changed on September 11, 2001.

“The opening images of the Today Show where they were wondering if Michael Jordan was going to retire, and one hour and forty-five minutes to two hours later, it evolved into a way of life that we live today. A certain innocence in this country died on September 11, 2001, but not the love for this nation and not the love for all the men and women who protect us. We can still say this in the nation because of men and women like them, ‘May God Bless the United States of America and may God Bless all of you’.”

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