USC Upstate hosted a 9/11 Remembrance and First Responders Salute to honor the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, and to recognize the dedicated service of first responders across the Upstate, especially during recent natural disasters such as Hurricane Helene and area wildfires.
The program, held at the University Readiness Center, included a presentation of colors by cadets of the Army ROTC Southern Guards Battalion and a bagpipe tribute from the city of Greenville Pipes and Drums.
The event also included an invocation, wreath laying, and a moment of silence to commemorate the four separate plane crashes and the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11. Fire Chaplain Matthew Scruggs, a former longtime Chesnee firefighter, led the invocation.
USC Upstate Chancellor Bennie Harris shared remarks about the importance of remembering the terrorist attacks that occurred 24 years ago in New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
“Fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, colleagues and friends were lost in a senseless act of terror,” Harris said, “and yet, on that same day, courage rose from the ashes. Firefighters and police officers ran towards collapsing towers. EMTs and doctors tended to the wounded. And on Flight 93, passengers chose sacrifice over surrender, preventing even greater destruction.”
Harris remembered being at the University of Alabama at Birmingham when the first plane struck the North Tower, adding he and his colleagues sat in disbelief thinking it was an accident before the second tower was hit.
“We knew our world had changed forever,” he said.
He went on to describe the shock of watching the aftermath of the attacks at the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 in a Pennsylvania field. Though the day was full of horror and grief, Harris recalled the weeks of unity that followed.
“Differences were set aside. Strangers became neighbors, trust in one another and our institutions reached levels not seen in decades. For a moment in time, we remembered that what unites us is far greater than what divides us.”
In the years since, Harris said that spirit has been tested, and he denounced the division and violence that has taken place in the country.
“So, too, we must say, ‘Not here, not now,’ to the forces of division that undermine, and share our shared values of freedom and respect. That is why remembrance matters.
“Today, we honor the fallen by recommitting ourselves to unity. We honor first responders by embodying courage in our own lives. And we honor our nation by refusing to let fear, violence, or political hostility define us. Here in Spartanburg and across the Upstate, we live this out.”
RJ Gimbl, vice chancellor for University Advancement, shared a personal story during the program. Gimbl was in his office as a graduate assistant at West Virginia University when news broke of a plane hitting the World Trade Center. His father was an active-duty member of the New York City Fire Department.
For more than two hours, he said, he was unable to reach his family via phone and had no idea if his father was working that day.
“When I did finally reach my mother, I did learn he was safe at home, but at that point, all members of the FDNY were recalled to active duty and asked to come into the city,” Gimbl said. “Hours later, he called my mother from a payphone in tears, describing the devastation and assumed loss of life he was witnessing firsthand.”
Gimbl added the next several months were difficult for first responders and the family members of those who lost loved ones. His father’s firehouse lost 19 members.
“That number may seem high to some, especially our first responders here, realizing how many people can you fit on a fire truck,” he said. “But if you know a first responder, you know the passion they have for their calling. Seven of those 19 had completed their shift but chose to stay on duty to assist — timing and courage intertwined.”
Gimbl went on to remember the hundreds of first responders who lost lives, including those who died from illnesses related to their service at Ground Zero. As more young people grow up without firsthand memories of 9/11, sharing stories about that day becomes more critical, he said. “I think it’s just important for them to realize how much it takes to have freedom in a democracy and how easily it could disappear.”
Representatives from local fire departments, police, EMS, the National Guard, local and state government, and the campus community were among the attendees.
USC Upstate Chief of Police Eric Boyce shared it is important to remember 9/11 because more than 3,000 people lost their lives in the attacks, not just the victims but also those who risked their lives to assist and rescue individuals trapped in the buildings.
Charlianne Nestlen, ’03, director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, remembered being a student at the university during 9/11 and watching it unfold on television in the Campus Life Center. Carrie Vaughn, ’13, assistant director of Donor Relations and communications said the events of that day “become a ripple effect for many generations that lived through the tragedy and those that came afterward.”
“Those old enough to remember 9/11 can remember the exact moment and feeling of terror as the events unfolded, and subsequently, how our nation was brought together in unity,” Vaughn said.
“Those who were born after 9/11 can feel the impact through reading about it in history classes, visiting the memorial site, and in everyday travels like flying. Today, 24 years later, we reflect on 9/11, remember the lives lost, and are thankful for our service men and women who continue to serve bravely in our communities.”
SpartanFire, a Spartanburg-based company led by USC Upstate alumnus Robby Fore, sponsored the ceremony. Harris recognized first responders and special guests and thanked Fore and his company.
“SpartanFire’s work and its annual First Responder Stair Stadium Challenge remind us that remembrance is not passive,” Harris said. “It is something we must carry with action and education.”
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