FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Members of the Fort Belvoir community came together to remember the victims and heroes of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, Flight 93 and at the Pentagon during a memorial service Friday at Woodlawn Chapel.
The service consisted of hymns, prayers and Biblical readings led by Installation Chaplains (Lt. Col.) James King; (Maj.) Felix Sermon and (Maj.) Kristi Pappas.
Highlighting the memorial service was a sermon by Garrison Chaplain (Col.) Philip Hill.
To begin the service, King provided the call to worship, followed by the opening hymn, "God of Our Fathers."
Hill's sermon talked about how the events of that day nine years ago have had such a lasting memory to everyone in this country.
"Days like July 4, 1776; November 11, 1918; December 7, 1941; June 6, 1944; all of these dates speak to us through history," Hill said. "If I mention September 11, 2001, on the other hand, that conjures up memories, thoughts and feelings that hurt us, affect us and touch us because we were here or we were there.
"It conjures up a memory of internal insult to our people with the collapse of those majestic buildings in New York; it conjures up brave actions for the plane crash in Pennsylvania; and it conjures up a monument that has been built to American strength and defense that was assaulted, breached and set on fire."
Hill noted that the future will allow us to heal, but there is much more to accomplish in the present.
"They say time heals all wounds. We must never forget to not just remember, but to re-involve ourselves and recapture our commitment and strengthen our resolve," Hill said. "We are here to try just for a moment to re-inject some of the presence, emotion and commitment of that day nine years ago."
Hill told some of the stories he will always remember relating to that day.
In one story, he and his fellow chaplains had requested to be moved back into the Pentagon after some construction that had displaced them before 9/11. For whatever reason, his boss would not allow them to move back into the space.
"It occurred to me, shortly after the incident at the Pentagon on 9/11, that if he had given us what we asked for, none of us would be standing here today because that is precisely where the plane hit," Hill said. "It reminded me that sometimes God is more interested in giving us what we need, rather than what we want."
The memorial also included Sermon providing an opening prayer and the first reading, 1 Kings 8:27-30. Sgt. Walter Hunter also read Proverbs 4 and Audrey Bigelow sang "You'll Never Walk Alone," a special music selection.
Sgt. First Class Ross Eastman led the congregation in reciting the Psalter Reading, Psalm 16. King also recited from the Book of Philippians 4:4-9.
Before listening to Hill's sermon, Bigelow led the congregation in the hymn of preparation, "If My People's Hearts are Humbled."
After the sermon, Bigelow recited a special edition of the Lord's Prayer and a short 9/11 memorial video was shown, followed by a moment of personal prayer and reflection.
Pappas recited a prayer for our nation, followed by the closing hymn, "Let All Things Now Living."
Hill closed the ceremony with the benediction.
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