WARSAW — Have you forgotten what happened on this date 16 years ago? A time to remember what happened Sept. 11, 2001, was held Monday evening at Center Lake Pavilion, Warsaw. Just over 100 people gathered at the Kosciusko County 9/11 Memorial Service.

Major Robert Webster, The Salvation Army Chaplain to the Fire Department New York, was key speaker at the county’s 9/11 memorial service.

Major Robert Webster, Indiana State Director of the Salvation Army, shared some of his experiences serving as chaplain at ground zero after the attacks on the World Trade Center. He spent 21 days there, a time he will never forget.

Prior to the start of the evening, Webster played a video, “Bringing Hope at Ground Zero,” showing photographs seen hundreds of times of events that day and some not so familiar, the words of President George W. Bush, the message of 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, Psalms 23 and John 16:33.

Websters presentation shared what he saw, experienced and his responsibilities. He tried to explain what it was like at that place, digging in the rubble, sometimes beside celebrities. But he also told of stories that took place. “At ground zero there was a lot of anger. A lot of people were upset and wanted revenge, something to happen immediately,” he said.

Webster said he was to go there and try and listen to the difficulties and challenges they were facing “in order to help them continue to do the job … times we spoke together, cried together …” he spoke of the thousands of people who stood outside ground zero waiting, putting their hands on the workers as they left to go back to recovering remains.

Warsaw Police Officer Brad Kellar sings the National Anthem.

Webster climbed the pile with firefighters when they found a firefighter in the debris. He would go with them in the procession and after the remains were laid in the stokes, he closed the bag and led the group in the Lord’s Prayer. Webster then led the procession down the pile and blocks away to the temporary morgue. “It was my privilege to do that. I’m honored … got to go and serve in this particular way.”

Mike Cox, co-chairman of the Kosciusko County 9/11 Remembrance Planning Committee, briefly spoke at the start of the program reminding people Sept. 11 was an attack “on our homeland” something that had not been seen since 1941. “We must never forget. Emergency responders who worked at ground zero are still suffering effects — physically and mentally — from the toxins and sights …”

Also participating in the evening was the Indiana Guard Reserve Color Guard who posted the colors for the evening, with members of Warsaw Boy Scout Troop 715 and Cub Scout Pack 3736 leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Warsaw Police Department Officer Brad Kellar sang the National Anthem and “God Bless The USA.”

Following the program, the group followed behind the IGR Color Guard for a brief service at the 9-11 monument.