Hamilton County holds 9/11 memorial ceremony NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) – Local leaders and community members gathered at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds Wednesday morning to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. About 200 people attended the memorial ceremony to reflect on the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Some attendees, including the son of Lisa Chris, were born years after the tragedy happened. “I just want to make sure he knows the importance of the day,” Chris, of Atlanta, Indiana, said. David Garcia, a 9/11 survivor, sat a few seats away. Garcia worked in Building 4 of the World Trade Center complex during the attacks. He recalled how his team refused to let the event stop them, returning to work the next day at an alternate site in New Jersey. “It was emotional,” Garcia said. Greg Poplarski also attended, wearing a hockey jersey with “FDNY” embroidered across the front. Poplarski worked on the 73rd floor of the South Tower. He was not at work the morning of the attacks but remembers the shock of realizing what was happening. “This is something you must never forget. You must realize that freedom comes at a price,” Poplarski said. For Poplarski, it is important to focus on the resilience of the days that followed. He described how people came together to help one another in the aftermath. Tim Griffin, a Hamilton County Council member and Carmel firefighter, spoke about that unity. “I think seeing people come together of that magnitude, I had never seen it in my lifetime and I don’t know that I’ve seen it since,” Griffin said. “My hope is that we still have that in us. And I believe that we do.” A joint honor guard from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Noblesville police and fire departments presented the American flag to start the ceremony. The assembly then joined a group prayer and listened to a rendition of “God Bless America.” Speakers included Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen, Police Chief Brad Arnold and County Commissioner Christine Altman. Looking back 25 years later, Garcia said he hopes “nobody ever has to see that again.” He added that the lessons that followed and the response from communities across the country are worth remembering. ...read more read less