9/11 - WKTV Journal

The annual Sept. 11 Community Day of Remembrance and Scout Salute will take place at six Michigan locations

By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org

The Sept. 11 Community Day of Remembrance and Scout Salute will be commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

This event has been held from sunrise to sunset on the plaza at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum (GRFPM) since Sept. 11, 2002.

In addition to the GRFPM location, the Community Day of Remembrance and Scout Salute will include activities at the Albion Legion Post 55, the Muskegon USS Silversides Submarine Museum and the USS LST 393 World War II landing ship, the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department, at the USS Edson located at the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum in Bay City, and the Walter Sundquist Pavilion at Riley Park in Farmington.

Those who cannot make it to the activities scheduled around the state of Michigan can participate by sharing photos of themselves saluting or by viewing the activities at the Michigan Cross Roads Council BSA Facebook page.

Those unable to make the scheduled activities can still participate by sharing photos of themselves saluting the American flag (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)

Events Schedule

GRAND RAPIDS: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

All events will be held outside. Those wishing to visit the museum must purchase tickets in advance at www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov.

For the 22nd year, the community is invited to join the Michigan Crossroads Council, Boy Scouts of America as they lead the West Michigan community in a day-long “Scout Salute” at the GRFPM to pay respect to all those who died during the terrorist attacks.
At sunrise and sunset honor guards from the Grand Rapids Police and Fire Departments will lower and raise the flag outside of the museum to commemorate the opening (7:18 a.m.) and closing (8 p.m.) of day’s events.
The Scout Salute will begin at the opening at 7:18 a.m.
At 7:50 a.m. retired Firefighter Ken Chudy will share events of the day.
GRFD will ring the bell at 8:46 a.m. for the South Tower.
GRFD will ring the bell at 9:03 a.m. for the North Tower.
GRFD will ring the bell at 9:37 a.m. for the Pentagon.
GRFD will ring the bell at 10:03 a.m. for United Airline Flight 9.
At 5:30 p.m. the Salvation Army Band will perform.
At 6 p.m. there will be a program featuring speakers Grand Rapids Police Chief Erick Winstrom, Grand Rapids Fire Chief Dr. Brad Brown, and Salvation Army Major Tim Meyer.
The final salute will take place at 7:59 p.m. with Echo Taps closing the event at sundown (8 p.m.).

ALBION:

At American Legion Post 55 in Albion activities will run from 4:30-6p.m.
A short program will be held during which Scouts and members of the public are welcome to salute the flag at the Legion post.

MUSKEGON:

At the USS Silversides a salute will coincide with Patriot Day activities from 4-5:30 p.m. At 4p.m. there will be a flyover, and at 5:30 p.m. the engine of the Silversides will be started to pay tribute to lives lost on Sept. 11.
At the USS LST 393 a program and salute will run from 6-8 p.m. with remarks being made by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel at 6:30 p.m.

TRAVERSE CITY:

At the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Station, a ceremony will begin with the Fire Honor Guard and Boy Scouts lowering flags to half-staff at 8:30 a.m. and will continue with Scouts and community members saluting the flag until 9 a.m.

BAY CITY:

In Bay City, Scouts and the public are invited to honor those who died during the attacks of Sept. 11 at the USS Edson located at the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum beginning at 4 p.m. with a service starting at 5p.m.

FARMINGTON:

Scouts and community members are encouraged to join activities sponsored by the Groves-Walker American Legion in Farmington. The event will be from 2:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the Walter Sundquist Pavilion at Riley Park in Downtown Farmington Center. During the ceremony, Officer of the Year honors will be presented to police officers, public safety officers and firefighters from Farmington and Farmington Hills.

Various activities from all locations will be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/MichiganCrossroadsCouncil.

Cars line up in Sparta for the annual Freedom Cruise Honor Ride. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Thom Antor is a busy man. It is fairly evident when calling his cell phone as the voicemail is full. But despite being busy, he returns every call.

“That was a long few minutes,” said the District 2 Kent County Commissioner with a laugh. It was 40 minutes ago that he said he would call back in a few.

It happens when you are organizing one of the area’s biggest events that honors veterans, this Saturday’s annual Freedom Cruise, which attracts thousands of classic cars, motorcycles, and military vehicles. The people come with one purpose, to honor those who have served.

“It is just an amazing thing to see all these cars and people line up along the route, honoring those who have served,” Antor said.

The event is a 30-mile route that takes participants through the northern portion of Kent County. The route starts in Sparta and then heads to Algoma Township. It continues to Comstock Park, making its way through Alpine Township and finally returning to Sparta.

“The drive goes through the Comstock schools where there will be veterans there from World War II, Vietnam and other wars,” Antor said. “The school has students there and the band really does an incredible job celebrating the veterans, especially as the cruise moves through.”

Leading off the Freedom Cruise are a couple of large sedans and a black bus that carries the Gold Star Families. A Gold Star Family, an honor that no-one wants, is an immediate family member or members of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict.

Before every Freedom Cruise Honor Ride, there is a ceremony to recognize a fall hero. The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. at the Sparta High School football field, 475 W. Spartan Drive. The ceremony recognizes a local Gold Star Family with a special portrait of their fallen service member. This year, the solider being recognized is Army Sergeant First Class Richard J. Herrema, who died in 2006 at the age of 27. His parents are Mary and Richard Herrema of Hudsonville. WKTV will be covering this year’s event and producing a show to air on WKTV at a later time.

The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes with the cruise leaving from the Sparta High School.

“The most important thing we want these families to know is that we will never forget,” Antor said. “It is a promise we make to those families and we have had families say this has really made a difference to them.

“They have been to programs offered by the military, counseling and other things, but what has really touched them has been the Freedom Cruise and to me that is far more important than writing checks to help veterans or helping to improve the quality of life.”

In fact, the Freedom Cruise is a fundraiser for the Finish the Mission Veteran Relief Fund, which offers support to area veterans by helping with home repairs, car repairs and other services.

“This all started with my dad,” Antor said. “He had gotten to a point where he could not live on his own and we did not have a lot of choices for him.”

A classic car makes its way through the Freedom Cruise. (Supplied)

Antor’s family had their father move into the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and made the commitment that someone would be with him everyday while he was there.

“It was during that time that I started walking around the facility and seeing that there were some needs,” Antor said. “I talked to the director and he said what they really needed was help with the band shell, which had been a popular thing but was in need of repair.”

So Antor made the commitment to raise the funds for the band shell. He hosted the first Freedom Cruise in 2014.

“We raised enough money (around $70,000) to repair the bandshell along with provide some infrastructure and writing,” he said.

The popularity of the Cruise encouraged Antor to continue hosting the event, now in its eighth year. It also lead to the development of the Finish the Mission Veteran Relief Fund, which expanded it services to help serve as a support gap to veterans.

“If they need something, help with bills or repairs, then we provide a check to the organization that will be doing the work,” Antor said, adding that all veterans receiving assistance are first vetted to make sure they do not qualify for other existing programs before Finish the Mission steps in.

So because of the veterans — and especially the Gold Star Families — Antor does not mind being so busy that he cannot always get to his phone. That goes double this year as the Freedom Cruise falls on 9/11, a day the nation will be remembering and honoring those who died in the World Trade Tower and Pentagon attacks and died thwarting the hijacking of United Flight 93.

“We should always remember what they did,” Antor said.