Deirdra Harris Glover
Staff Writer
Jackson State University will commemorate the 9/11 terrorists attacks and honor those who serve and have served in the military on Sept. 11, 2015.
While many JSU students are too young to recall the events of Sept. 11, 2001 with clarity, Laurry Greenfield, a senior urban planning major from Chicago, Ill., remembers it vividly. Greenfield was an Electronic Warfare Technician training at the Navy RADAR School when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into World Trade Center’s North Tower. He made it to a television in time to see United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower.
“I thought it was a movie, it was so surreal,” said Greenfield.
The base where he was stationed was under lockdown protocol for a week following the attacks. Many men and women enlisted in the months after the tragedy, but Greenfield already had an established military career.
Still, he was moved to change his career trajectory, eventually transitioning to Military Police. He retired as a Petty Officer First Class after 23 years of service.
Hope Robinson, a senior elementary education major for Jackson, Miss., has grown to understand the impact of 9/11 on our society and global relations. She was in fourth grade at Power APAC Elementary when a note arrived for her teacher.
Robinson remembers her classmates being asked to lay their heads down on their desks and to be quiet. The scope of the tragedy was “too big” for her to grasp until a few years later.
“9/11 is a lot more recent than other historical events, so a lot of people don’t view it as relevant because it’s so close to being a current event. Just imagine living in New York City, watching those buildings falling down, and your parents calling you to give their final goodbyes,” said Robinson.
Those survivors did not want 9/11’s legacy to be fear and loss, but instead wished to pay homage to the bravery of the fallen.
In 2009, Congress established September 11 as a national day of service and remembrance so that the day would be known for charitable deeds offered as tribute to those who perished. It is one of two U.S. days of service, the other being Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Timothy Abram, director of the JSU Military and Veterans Center, commends the spirit of 9/11 Day, especially its focus on civilian service.
“Community service opportunities offer students the chance to reconnect with their neighborhoods and lend their creative problem-solving skills to some of the most pressing social issues of our time: poverty, hunger, and lack of economic opportunity,” said Abram.
Abram stated that JSU military students will spend 9/11 Day providing service to the residents of the Veteran’s Home of Jackson.
“My hope is that community service opens a dialogue about the diversity of people in the world and our community, and brings about an understanding of where others are coming from,” said Abram.
The JSU Military and Veterans Center’s 9/11 Day program will be held in memorial of our lost heroes, and in appreciation of our local service members, law enforcement, firefighters and first responders.
The commemorative breakfast will take place at 9:00 a.m., Friday, Sept. 11 in Ballroom A of the JSU Student Center. The Center for Service and Community Engaged Learning is recruiting volunteers for this event. If you are interested, call 601-979-1294 for details.
