FORT HOOD, Texas - At 8:46 a.m. Friday morning, cars, vans and yellow Killeen Independent School District buses filled the parking lot at Killeen High School; a scene not much different from what typically occurs every school day.
Yet, 14 years ago at this very hour, a scene that will forever scar America's collective memory was playing out 1,700 miles away. American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m., Sept. 11, 2001.
Soldiers from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center's Warrior Transition Unit walked along with students, staff, and faculty members from the four KISD high schools in Freedom Walk 2015 in observance of what is now known as Patriot Day.
"It is often said that this day forever changed our nation," said Dr. John Craft, KISD superintendent. "That is true. It has left an indelible mark on our hearts for the lives that were so tragically and inexcusably lost, but we are also forever changed by the selfless heroic acts of the emergency responders, the outpouring of support by our citizens, communities and corporations as well as through the resilience showcased in ceremonies here and across the nation today. We have and will remain honored and humbled to host this event as we celebrate the extraordinary valor of all the first responders and service members here today."
Also in attendance were first responders from Nolanville, Harker Heights, and Fort Hood, as well as Bell County Fire and Rescue, Bell County Sheriff's Department, and Gold Star Families that were honored at the event.
"The common thread that brings us all together today remains freedom." Craft said. "The attacks of 9/11 will never be forgotten, and we sustain this tradition as a celebration of patriotism that serves as a solemn reminder of the lives lost and provides an opportunity to renew our commitment to freedom and express our appreciation for first responders and service members, both past and present."
Prior to the start of the walk, participants attended a brief ceremony in the school's auditorium. The ceremony's guest speaker was Kimberly Hornsby, the surviving spouse of Robert Hornsby, a Killeen police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 2013.
Hornsby's voice quaked with emotion as she spoke of what sacrifice meant to her before and since losing her husband. She came bearing a positive message of hope and perseverance and resilience that resonated with all those in attendance who had lost a loved one.
"Prior to Bobby's move to heaven, sacrifice looked a lot different to us," Hornsby said. "It was him gone late at night, at birthday parties, gone on holidays. It was even that sacrifice of peace of mind, that fear that always sits in the back of your head, that fear that something might happen, but it was quickly ushered away with the thought that it would never happen to us, except on July 14, it did. A knock on the door that night changed our view of sacrifice."
She spoke of how her faith and often the faith of others helped her through the devastating loss of her husband.
"I often tell people the prayers of others are what carried me through when I didn't have the strength to pray for myself," Hornsby said.
But she turned what threatened to be a very sorrowful, tearful assembly into something uplifting in the end.
"I've stood at Bobby's headstone countless times and wept and never once has the headstone told me of his sacrifice and his teammates' sacrifice that was made that night," she said. "It has never told me about his heart, his love for people, or his desire to give back. The headstone is silent. In fact all the headstones in that cemetery are silent. There's a quote by Shannon Alder that says, 'Carve your name on hearts, not on tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.' My charge to us is that as we leave today that we carve our names on the hearts of others because our tombstones are silent."
On that note, the auditorium was emptied of its occupants as all the Soldiers, students, faculty members and first responders filed outside to line up for the commemorative walk around the stadium track.
As their steps pounded the pavement, each person reflected on the meaning and significance of Patriot Day to them.
"I just remember the teacher turning on the TV and saying something bad had happened and that class was to be stopped, and we were to watch this event that was happening," said Cpl. Deshawn Daniel, who was in 3rd grade when 9/11 happened. "It was a lot for me to take in for me at such a young age."
Daniel, a Soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, said, "It sunk in more and more as the years went on, and it actually is part of the reason why I decided to join the military to pay my respects and also to serve and fight against such acts of terrorism."
At the completion of one lap around the track, the honorees and Gold Star Families met in the center of the track. Each family held a balloon in honor of their loved one. A bell rang 11 times in remembrance, and upon the 11th ringing the group released their balloons into the sky.
"It was very emotional," said Andrea Velazquez, Killeen High School JROTC. "I'm thankful that we're able to have a ceremony so the people who were affected by [9/11] never feel like they were forgotten."
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