Williams/Ledger Elementary students hold annual freedom walk
By SEAN HANEY
Cove-Leader Press
On Friday at Williams Ledger Elementary School in Copperas Cove, all students from grades Kindergarten to 5th grade participated in their annual walk to honor all the lives lost on that tragic day 21 years ago, when 19 terrorists hijacked four plans, and 2,996 people lost their lives, 2763 at the World Trade Center and surrounding area, 184 at the Pentagon, and 40 in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to retake the plane.
Among those who died, 415 were first responders, 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and eight EMTs.
Friday’s event also served as a way to honor first responders who are always ready to keep us safe.
Terri Jernigan, a teacher at Williams Ledger Elementary School, held the first 9/11 memorial walk at the school, one year after the tragic event.
“We started it because we think that they need to remember the history and the things that happened, and it's grown a little bit bigger now because we're showing a little patriotism in our country,” Jernigan said. “I really feel like we need that right now. We need to show love for our country, and we need to show love for the people. of this country. I think it's kind of cool. It gives me the chills when they start to sing. It's amazing.”
Since the start of this walk back in 2002, some things have changed.
“We've added quite a bit of program to it. This morning, we'll do a moment of silence and we're going to toll the bells for the different things that happen, and the kids prepare a different song every year. They're going to sing “Where Stars and Stripes and Eagles Fly’, and along with that each grade has colored a different picture to correlate to the song.”
Before the event, started 5th grader Camden Heise shared his thoughts about the walk.
“During the walk we show our respect, and we honor everybody for what happened on that sad day where the planes crashed and took a lot of lives.”
Fellow 5th grader Kelsey Munsel shared her thoughts on her 6th time participating in this walk.
“We remember all the firefighters and police officers who fell on 9/11. My dad was a firefighter and both my grandpas were in the military. It's really hard to explain how I feel about him being a fire fighter. It makes me scared sometimes, that I think he was going to get hurt. But that's his dream. So, if he wants that to be his dream, he can live through history. I'm really proud of him and glad to call him my dad.”
The students started off by holding a moment of silence, then they listened as the bells were tolled once for each tower, one for the pentagon and one for the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania.
Once the bells were tolled, the students marched the parking lot twice with the parents who were there.
Following the walk, they lined back up in the classes and proceeded to sing and show off their hand-drawn pictures which concluded the event.