By HUNTER SMITH hsmith@lockhaven.com
LOCK HAVEN - Even 23 years after the tragedy of 9/11, Clinton County continues to honor and remember those who lost their lives on that devastating day and in its aftermath.
To pay tribute to first responders, veterans and the families affected by the attacks, the Clinton County Veterans Affairs Office held its 11th annual 9/11 Moving Tribute.
From 5:45 a.m., the time the hijackers passed through airport security, to 8:30 p.m., when President George W. Bush addressed the nation, volunteers walked the streets of Lock Haven carrying the American flag.
Among those participating in the tribute were County Commissioner Angela Harding, Pa. State Rep. Stephanie Borowicz and the Bald Eagle Battalion ROTC. There was no designated route for the flag's journey - participants chose their own paths, with some walking along Main Street and others carrying it down the levee.
As of Wednesday morning, 40 participants were scheduled to walk, but at least a dozen additional volunteers arrived at Triangle Park downtown to join the tribute.
Throughout the day, volunteers observed moments of silence to honor key events, including the impacts of the planes and the collapse of the Twin Towers.
For Goodwill Hose Company Station 7 firefighter Conner Borner, the walk has become an annual tradition.
In remembrance of his fallen comrades, Borner has spent the past four years walking on Sept. 11 in full firefighting gear, sometimes for up to six hours, to honor their sacrifice.
"Because the people on 9/11 died in their gear, I'm going to sweat… and I'm going to walk around in my gear," Broner said.
This year, he's also carrying his airpack, as first responders did while ascending the Twin Towers. A firefighter's self-contained breathing apparatus can weigh more than 25 pounds. Depending on what a firefighter is carrying, all the gear can weigh more than 70 pounds altogether.
Originally launched by former Director of Veterans Affairs Jennifer Hagaman in partnership with Team Red, White & Blue - one of the nation's leading health and wellness communities for veterans - the walk later became a project of VETS+, a veteran and community group, before transitioning to the care of the county Veterans Affairs office.
Jeff Croak, assistant director of the Clinton County Veterans Affairs Office said, "Our office is instrumental in keeping veterans events and everything going in the county. I mean, we're a small community, so we've got to stick together," adding that events like the 9/11 Moving Tribute are what keep the memory of their sacrifice alive.
