By: Sameep Singh Gumtala
DAYTON, Ohio: Members of the Sikh community in Dayton joined hundreds of local residents to pay tribute at the 24th annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony held at the Beavercreek 9/11 Memorial. The event marked the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which claimed more than 2, 600 lives at the World Trade Center, 184 lives at the Pentagon, and 40 lives in Pennsylvania. The annual ceremony was organized by the Beavercreek Police and Fire Departments.
The program included lowering of the American flag, floral tributes by military personnel, singing of the national anthem, and the ringing of a ceremonial bell at 8:46 a.m., the moment the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Beavercreek Mayor Don Adams delivered a heartfelt message of remembrance.
Speaking about the participation, community activist Sameep Singh Gumtala shared, “We came together to honor all those who lost their lives in the attacks—including police officers, firefighters, and medical service personnel who served courageously that day.”
Among those present were Avtar Singh from Springfield, and Dr. Charanjit Singh Gumtala, renowned Punjabi writer and Patron of the non-government organization (NGO) Amritsar Vikas Manch. As in past years, Avtar Singh arrived with his vehicle decorated with flags and banners reading “Remembering 9/11” , “Sikh Americans, Stand for Freedom” and “God Bless America, ” which drew appreciation from Mayor Adams and other attendees.
The Sikh community also remembered Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh American who was tragically shot and killed outside his gas station in Mesa, Arizona, just four days after 9/11 in the first fatal hate crime following the attacks. The perpetrator had intended to kill Muslims in retaliation for 9/11.
The Beavercreek 9/11 Memorial features a 25-foot twisted steel beam that once stood between the 101st and 105th floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. This piece of history was brought to Beavercreek by two local fire departments that had assisted with rescue operations at Ground Zero as part of Ohio Task Force One.
Similar steel beams from the Twin Towers have been installed in memorials across the United States, allowing people everywhere to offer their tributes and prayers of remembrance.