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The city of Oxford paused for a moment Wednesday morning, Sept. 11, 2024, to remember and reflect on the tragedy the nation faced 23 years ago after terrorist attacks in New York City. Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

Fire Chief Gary Sparks led what has become an annual ceremony this year at Oxford City Hall, noting the date is a time when “we should remember what happened and the sacrifices that were made.”

“To my generation, this is our Pearl Harbor,” Sparks said. “Three hundred and forty-five firefighters died on that day. Hundreds more have died from illnesses caused by working at that site for weeks and months. They all went to work expecting to go home the next day. But when the bell went off, they did what firefighters do.”

“I remember some of the reaction from other countries saying America’s dream is gone and will never come back,” said Mayor Alton Craft. “That was not the case, and I’ll always remember those firemen who radioed they were going up [into the World Trade Center], not going down, and going into the inferno.”

“We should never fear and always see the glory of those wonderful people who died that day,” Craft said.

Oxford Police Lt. Gerald Lyons, representing Chief Bill Partridge, recalled 72 police officers from eight different departments were killed on that day and noted the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund also recognizes 463 officers that succumbed to toxic chemical exposure.

“There is one thing about public safety,” Lyons said. “It’s not a matter of who is calling in; it’s not a matter of should we go; it’s a matter of where there is a need, and we are going to do something.”

Oxford Health Systems CEO Tom Dixon said police, fire, and paramedics “consistently embody what it means to be an American.”

“I sometimes think about the people that work for me today and realize many were not born at that time,” Dixon said. “And there are others who were inspired by that day to get into the profession of police officer, firefighter, and EMS provider. Thankfully, we are a city that remembers that and inspires others to protect each other, take care of each other, and serve the public.”

Council President Chris Spurlin, pastor of Brookside Baptist Church, closed the ceremony with a benediction which included, “There is no greater love than a man who would lay down his life for someone else.”