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Jim Lee, of Palm Coast Volunteer Fire Rescue, bows his head during the ceremony. Photo by Paige Wilson
Michael Pugliese, a retired New York City firefighter, watches the ceremony while standing by an American flag. Photo by Paige Wilson
Terence Arthur, of Palm Coast, is framed by pieces of high beams from the World Trade Center as he places a rose on the memorial outside. He was at ground zero with New York City Department of Correction. Photo by Paige Wilson
The Palm Coast Honor Guard presents the colors. Photo by Paige Wilson
Peter Riccio, with Palm Coast Volunteer Fire Rescue, listens to the guest speakers. Photo by Paige Wilson
The Palm Coast Honor Guard stands by remnants of high beams from the World Trade Center — one from tower one and one from tower two. Photo by Paige Wilson
Richard Glover was 20 years into serving with the New York City Fire Department when he responded to ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001. Photo by Paige Wilson
Eddie Branquinho, a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 4, spent four days at ground zero, as he was with the Newark fire department at the time. Photo by Paige Wilson
Ophelia Beier, who worked in the Pentagon in 2001, spoke of how she was in a meeting — instead of her office — during the strike on the Pentagon on 9/11. Her office was destroyed from the plane crash. Photo by Paige Wilson
Coastal Florida Police and Fire Pipes and Drums start the 9/11 ceremony at the Elks Lodge. Photo by Paige Wilson
Richard Glover, retired FDNY, has lived in Palm Coast for about a decade. He said the scene at ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001, was truly indescribable. Photo by Paige Wilson
Palm Coast residents Terence and Samantha Arthur were both first responders at ground zero on 9/11. Photo by Paige Wilson
It's been 17 years since the United States stopped and stared — at TVs, at ground zero, at the Pentagon. On September 11, 2018, Palm Coast residents and officials gathered at the Elks Lodge No. 2709 at 53 Old Kings Road N., to pay tribute to the first responders — the heroes who worked tirelessly to help the nation recover from the tragic attacks that morning in 2001 — and to remember the 2,977 people who died in New York City, in Washington, D.C., and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Among the 9/11 survivors were Richard Glover, a retiree of the New York Fire Department, and Ophelia Beier, who worked in the Pentagon in 2001. Both have lived in Palm Coast for about a decade. As the ceremony's guest speakers, Glover shared stories of responding to the mountains of rubble at ground zero, and Beier spoke of the close call she had at the Pentagon, where many of her coworkers died.
Beier said Sept. 11, 2001, started as a beautiful Tuesday morning at the Pentagon. She was running a few minutes late to a meeting, but she wanted to swing by her office for just a minute to grab a doughnut and some coffee. But an internal voice stopped her, so she continued on to the meeting. Her office was destroyed when the plane hit the west side of the Pentagon.
"I believe it was because of a higher power watching over me that I made it out alive," she said.
Glover said he is unable to describe the destruction he encountered at ground zero. He had been with the New York City Fire Department for 20 years on Sept. 11, 2001.
"There's no explanation if you weren't there," he said. "'Terrible' isn't even a good word to describe it."
Glover went on to encourage those in attendance to teach children the history of 9/11 — so it is never forgotten.
