Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – First responders, military veterans, and community members gathered at Embassy Suites Tuesday morning to honor the lives of those lost during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The remembrance ceremony, cohosted by the VFW Roy Wiles Post 1991 and Jonesboro Elks Lodge 498, brought in Jonesboro firefighters and police to speak about their experiences on 9/11. The ceremony also saw a proclamation from Jonesboro mayor Harold Copenhaver, and an honor guard 21-gun salute by the Jonesboro Police Department.
Charles “Chuck” Fuss, commander of VFW Roy Wiles Post 1991, said the ceremony has been hosted for 25 years. The event aims to honor first responders in the community and serve as a way to remember the attacks. This year’s event drew 93 people.
“It’s important that our newer generation are educated on what happened that day, and I think that’s the responsibility of our parents, our community, so that we’re never able to forget,” Fuss said.
The ceremony saw speeches from Jonesboro Police Department Lt. John Porbeck, Jonesboro Fire Department (JFD) Capt. Jason Olsen, and JFD retired Capt. Anthony Roberts, as they detailed what their days in Northeast Arkansas looked like on the day of the attacks and afterward.
| ADD US ON GOOGLE NEWS: Click here to see more local news from Jonesboro Right Now
“The job changed, too. Not only did we change as a country, as a society, but law enforcement and fire, changed too. It wasn’t just as simple as being a street cop anymore, it wasn’t as simple being a fireman anymore, it wasn’t as simple being an EMT anymore,” Porbeck said.
He continued: “The other thing that the City of Jonesboro did is, I was off that Monday and Tuesday, and I went to work on that Wednesday, and it didn’t strike me until I went to work on Thursday. The number of American flags that were out, showing us that yeah, you might be able to knock us down, you might be able to rattle our cage, but you’re not gonna keep us down.”
Olsen said the attacks are what inspired him to pursue a career in firefighting, and carry a family legacy of service forward.
“I realized one of the best ways to honor the people who came before us, those 343 firemen, was to serve. That is what led me into the life of a firefighter,” he said.
As attendees entered the building, a JFD truck sat outside the hotel displaying a large American flag. Fuss said this is done to honor the display of American flags after the attacks.
2026 marks 25 years since the attacks, in which four planes were hijacked by members of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center, another into the Pentagon, and another that was due toward Washington D.C. crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought against the hijackers.
The attacks resulted in the deaths of 2,977 people, including 343 firefighters, 23 police officers, 37 Port Authority police officers, and eight emergency medical personnel.
During the ceremony, Copenhaver issued a mayoral proclamation, proclaiming Sept. 11, 2026, as National Day of Remembrance in the city. He called upon those in attendance, especially the youth in the audience, to find community service and volunteer opportunities in the area, and observe a moment of silence for those lost.
“It’s also important for us to know and acknowledge the fact that many in this room are serving our community, Northeast Arkansas, our state, at the same level of expertise as those individuals who sacrificed their lives,” Copenhaver said. “Along with our nation, the City of Jonesboro pays tribute to all those who perished in the terrorist attacks on 9/11. We honor the bravery of the first responders and individuals who selflessly risk their lives to assist others.”
Jeremy Frakes, secretary of the Jonesboro Elks Lodge 498, said teaching the younger generation, especially those who were born after 9/11, about the attacks, ensures no one ever forgets what happened that day.
“[They] may have just been hearing what everybody else said, what they’ve heard in classrooms or in other past anniversary presentations,” Frakes said. “We like to take this opportunity every year on Sept. 11 to honor remember those we lost on that September day, because it did change our country, it did affect our country, but it also showed our country’s strength and coming together.”
| DAILY BRIEF: Sign up for the Jonesboro Right Now Daily Brief Newsletter