GIBSONBURG — At 8:46 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, America was attacked by terrorists and the nation responded by pulling together in patriotism, inspiring the sentiment that the nation has never forgotten.

The community of Gibsonburg has never forgotten; each year giving remembrance to what has become Patriot's Day with ceremonies at its impressive Public Safety Service Memorial in Williams Park. Sunday's observance was an appropriate reflection of the community's continued commitment to always remember the events of the day. Dignitaries' patriotic speeches, wreath laying, patriotic music, American Flags, the Pledge of Allegiance, salutes by Cub Scouts, and the presence of safety service personnel punctuated the ceremony that began at noon.

The memorial park includes a mangled, 36-foot-tall, 7,000-pound section of an antenna from the World Trace Center that was carried by truck from New York City to Gibsonburg in 2015.

The day's events began with the national anthem by members of the Gibsonburg High School Band and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Cub Scout Pack 408. An opening prayer, by Dr. Matthew Zuehlke, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, was followed by opening remarks from Gibsonburg Mayor Steve Fought.

"Twenty-one years ago, our world, our county and our lives changed forever," Fought said. "We saw hundreds of first responders gather and rush in."

He referenced the 434 firefighters, 60 law enforcement officers and 8 paramedics who, in a concerted effort to rescue others, selflessly rushed to their deaths in New York's World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and those who perished in a Pennsylvania cornfield after heroic passengers thwarted the takeover of the passenger jet that hijackers had intended to strike the Capitol.

"We, as a nation, stand tall, strong and unafraid," Fought said of their legacy.

Sandusky County Commissioner Scott Miller told the crowd that the Gibsonburg community continues to keep in mind the events of 9/11, while maintaining an enviable level of volunteerism and service.

"Never be surprised that that they'll come out and help you as they did on September 11," Miller said. "Remember, there are people out there looking after you."

"'Never forget,'" said Gibsonburg educator Sam Weigman, "Two words that have tremendous meaning."

Weigman told the assembled about how he and the students in the Gibsonburg schools would never forget the day, as they sat together, watching televised history happening in the moment. No students who were the school system in 2001 remain, however, and Weigman said it is a great challenge and responsibility for teachers to continue the memory in a way that will never allow for the youth in their care to forget.

"We witnessed our country under attack on TV," said Weigman, "Pure hate and evil on a scale that was unimaginable."

Just as those who stood up to terror on 9/11, everyday heros in the local community place their fellow citizens above themselves, he said.

"Sacrificing one's life for another is the embodiment of service," Weigman said. "This community and this nation come together in a way that I have never seen before."

Weigman thanked active members of the military, veterans, and their families as he continued.

"The United States is the greatest nation in the world," he said, noting that it will remain so as long as people are willing to sacrifice for others.

"We must always remember September 11th," he said.

"I am very rarely at a loss for words," said Judge Brad Smith of the Sandusky County Juvenile and Probate Court, who admitted that he had feared being overcome by emotion prior to his speech.

He asked what it meant never to forget and why it was important, answering that 9/11 matters differently than other considerations, because it inspires the kind of service in young people that protects others and defends the nation.

"Those individuals are what make our country what it is," he said.

The judge pointed to the admirable statistic that of the approximately 12,000 young Sandusky County residents with the potential to appear in his court, fewer than 100 are on probation for negative decisions they have made. For that, Smith said, the county is most fortunate.

"We are truly blessed," he said. "Everything that is good about our youth is what's good about us. As they move forward, know that we are in good hands."

Chris Shay, a former Navy corspman and retired Sandusky County EMS paramedic, brought up the question that continues to linger in the minds of all who were alive on that fateful day: "Where were you when the towers fell?" He recalled having returned home from a busy EMS shift, only to spend the day watching events unfold, as his cup of coffee got cold on the coffee table, enthralled by the images of destruction before him.

"I yelled. I cried. I was mad as hell, but mostly, I was just numb," Shay said.

Still, he said, "Who can forget that iconic image of the American Flag being raised over Ground Zero?"

"Someone must take the lead, take the point," Shay said as he challenged the community's youth to stand up, raise the flag, pledge allegiance, and never forget.

"We have to have to act like proud Americans."

"I will never forget," said Col. Charles Jones, superintendent of the Ohio Highway Patrol, of the day America was plunged into darkness and turmoil, paraphrasing President George W. Bush.

"First responders across our nation never fell or faltered," Jones said. He also recalled the closure he felt May 1, 2011, having heard of Seal Team Six's elimination of Osama Bin Laden, and his thrill at hearing the unified chant of Americans outside the White House of, "USA! USA! USA!"

"It sent chills down my spine," the superintendent said.

"All public servants, I salute you for your service and your sacrifice," Jones said.

Following Jones, Pat McCauley, public affairs liaison for Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, read a proclamation from the treasurer, supporting the Gibsonburg ceremony and remembering the events of 9/11.

To the strains of "Amazing Grace," by the Black Swamp Pipes and Drums, a wreath was laid at the memorial. The Gibsonburg band members played "Taps," followed by the signing of "America the Beautiful," led by the Gibsonburg High School Choir.