When terrorists attacked the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, at least two people from Jefferson County snapped into action to help the victims.
Chris Harmon, who grew up in Jefferson County but lived in Springfield at the time, went into overdrive in his job with the American Red Cross, and Teena Kilo of Festus was inspired to join the Red Cross as a volunteer to assist in any way she could.
Both were featured on the Red Cross website, reflecting on the 20-year anniversary of the tragic event.
Harmon, 48, who now lives in Imperial, is the Red Cross Missouri and Arkansas regional disaster officer.
A 1991 Fox High School graduate, he recalls the madness of the days following the 9/11 attack, even as far away as the Red Cross service center in Springfield.
“It was a hard time in our history to understand,” he said.
His office set up a system for processing donations and training volunteers to go to New York to help those in need.
“I had to send volunteers there,” Harmon said. “The Red Cross was providing services for those who lived near the (World Trade Center) towers.”
Four months later, Harmon was deployed in January 2002 to New York, where he worked at a Red Cross respite center near Ground Zero of the World Trade Center attacks.
“I interviewed a lot of people, to verify who they were and give them some immediate assistance,” he said.
Harmon said he still has strong emotions about the attacks and the aftermath, and he wonders how many people feel the same way.
“My personal belief is we’re not doing a good enough job (commemorating the attacks),” he said.
Harmon moved back to Jefferson County in 2014.
Kilo
Kilo, 67, said watching the airplanes crash into the World Trade Center on TV the morning of 9/11 moved her.
“At that moment, I decided to volunteer with the Red Cross,” she said.
Kilo called the Red Cross St. Louis office the day of the attacks and by the following morning was volunteering for the organization.
“I was working for the Red Cross at a phone bank – that was my volunteer role,” she said.
“We were one of the major phone banks for the national Red Cross. Calls were coming from all over the country for the Red Cross. There were people wanting to donate blood. There was a guy I remember who owned a pizza parlor who wanted to donate pizzas to the 9/11 volunteers.”
Kilo worked at the Red Cross call center the next seven days.
She remembers people in general being in a daze following the attacks.
“I think all around the country people were still absorbing 9/11,” she said.
Twenty years later, Kilo still volunteers with the Red Cross St. Louis Area chapter.
“I’m proud to be a Red Cross volunteer,” she said. “Today, I do all my volunteering virtually from my home. I volunteer about four hours a week, unless they ask for more.”
She has helped victims of fires, floods and other natural disasters as a member of the Red Cross Direct Action Team, providing them with referral assistance, shelter support and food services.
“Yes, it has been gratifying,” Kilo said.
County events pay tribute to 9/11 first responders
Numerous events were held Saturday throughout Jefferson County to pay tribute to first responders and to remember the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the U.S.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of the attacks that destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, damaged the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and resulted in a passenger plane crash in a Shanksville, Penn., field.
The city of Arnold held its 10th annual 9/11 Tribute Service at the Arnold Recreation Center; the Arnold Food Pantry held a run in honor of first responders at Arnold City Park; and the Northwest Branch of the Jefferson County Library in High Ridge created an exhibit with information about the attacks and the U.S. response.
“I think people were thinking about it more,” Arnold Mayor Ron Counts said of the 20th anniversary of the attacks. “It is up to us to give people time to reflect on the day and what came after. Also, there are some young people now who were not born when it happened, and this is a chance to educate them on that day and what came after.”
9/11 Tribute Service
About 70 people attended the city of Arnold’s 9/11 ceremony held outside the rec center that has a memorial featuring a piece of metal from the World Trade Center that was destroyed in terrorist attacks, Arnold Parks and Recreation supervisor Teresa Kohut said.
Counts and State Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial) spoke during the ceremony. The ceremony also had people place 20 roses in front of the monument that holds the piece of metal from the World Trade Center.
In addition, there was a ceremonial ringing of a bell to honor first responders.
“There was a good crowd there, and it was a little more than in the past,” Kohut said. “It may have been because it was on a Saturday, and it may have been on people’s minds more with it being the 20th anniversary. I think people are just feeling grateful in light of recent sacrifices as well. I would say the tone was patriotic and appreciative.”
Counts said he was pleased with the turnout at the ceremony, which was a way for the city to show appreciation for its first responders.
“We are just so thankful for the great job the first responders do,” he said. “I think it is another way for our community to say thank you to first responders.”
Kohut said about half the crowd stayed for a free doughnut and coffee reception that followed the ceremony.
Food pantry run
The Arnold Food Pantry’s Tribute to First Responders run attracted 80 runners, said Ed Fitzhenry, executive director for the pantry, which serves people throughout the Fox C-6 School District and beyond.
He said 15 of the participants were first responders, and they did not have to pay the entry fee.
“It went really well,” Fitzhenry said. “The weather was great, and that is always conducive to a good time. It was a festive atmosphere. I think people are looking for opportunities to get outside to do things, and this was an opportunity to do that.”
Entry fees for the 5K run and 1-mile run/walk, contributions from sponsors, and money from raffles brought in about $12,000 for the food pantry, which is based at 2024 Key West Drive.
“Fundraisers make up about 40 percent of the money we need to operate,” Fitzhenry said. “Every little bit helps.”
Fitzhenry said plaques were given to the top three male and female runners as well as the top three finishers in each age group. He said participants ranged in ages from 8 to 77.
Devin Klemp, 34, of St. Louis was the top overall male finisher in 18 minutes, 26.5 seconds. Jennifer Cox, 39, of Herculaneum had the best time of the female runners and third-best overall time at 22:03.1.
Northwest Branch
The Jefferson County Library Northwest Branch, 5680 Hwy. PP, in High Ridge had a display of posters depicting archival images, artifacts, individual stories and explanatory text about the terrorist attacks and the aftermath.
It also held a virtual story time with members of the High Ridge Fire Protection District, North Jefferson County Ambulance District and Hillsboro Police Department, who shared stories about what it means to be a first responder and what 9/11 means to them.
Julie Click, youth services supervisor at the Northwest Branch of the Jefferson County Library, said 34 people walked through the exhibit, and 31 people viewed the virtual story time.
She also said the library gave out 14 children’s kits that had a commemorative ribbon to color and information about 9/11, and she said kits are still available at the library.
“I was very pleased with the participation we had from the community,” Click said. “It is important for us to hold events like this. We are coming up on a generation of kids who were not alive or experienced that day. I feel it is important that generation is aware of the events of that day and what it meant for our world as a whole.”
De Soto stair climb
Anna Wideman, a private with the
De Soto Rural Fire Protection District, said 50 people participated in the stair climb, which was held on a set of 180 steps that stretch from Main Street to Second Street at Bernhardt Park in De Soto.
She said the climb took place between 7:46 a.m. and 9:28 a.m., representing the period from when the first plane crashed into one of the World Trade Center’s towers to when the second tower collapsed. Wideman said members of the
De Soto Fire Department, De Soto Rural Fire Protection District, De Soto Police and some community members took part in the climb. All the participants wore the name of at least one firefighter who died while responding to the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center.
“With everything going on in the world, it was nice to remember how everyone came together then,” Wideman said.
She said a similar climb was held last year but had fewer participants because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the climb, the participants went to De Soto Fire’s house on Second Street, where there is a monument featuring two pieces of metal from the World Trade Center.
Scott Scharf, a captain with the
De Soto Fire Department, said a wreath donated by Cherished Memories Flowers and Gifts in De Soto was placed in front of the monument, and the names of the firefighters who died were read.
“It is huge,” Scharf said of holding the event on the 20th anniversary of the attack. “I grew up in New Jersey. It hits close to home for me being from out there.”