College of the Ozarks commemorates lives lost on 9/11 at annual ceremony

POINT LOOKOUT − Loren M. Lundstrom was in the fourth floor conference room of the Pentagon when he thought an adjacent building had absorbed a blast from a car bomb.

Twenty-two years ago Monday, Lundstrom, then an active United States Air Force lieutenant colonel, heard a loud thud as the floor beneath him shook. When he looked outside, he saw dark heavy smoke billowing above the Virginia building, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Lundstrom, now dean of student development at Ozarks Technical Community College, had already received word of two passenger planes that had struck the Twin Towers in New York City roughly 30 minutes before what he experienced at the Pentagon. Lundstrom would soon learn it was the tragic result of Flight 77 crashing, which instantly killed all passengers aboard and 125 civilians in the military building.

Nearly 3,000 people died on Sept. 11, 2001, after hijacked planes crashed into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field, an attack that reshaped American foreign policy and domestic fears.

Lundstrom, the featured speaker of the College of the Ozarks' annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony on Monday, evoked tears from some of the hundreds of patrons and students as he harkened back to what is widely considered the darkest day in U.S. history.

"Fortunately, ceremonies like this inspire American people to never forget, reliving the spirit of patriotism observed after the 9/11 attacks," said Lundstrom, who was also a director of intelligence for the U.S. 13th Air Force.  "Patriotism is not a dirty word. It's not radical, it's not divisive. Patriotism unifies, gives us hope and inspires us to do great things."

The nearly one-hour morning ceremony took place at the "Lest We Forget" Memorial on College of the Ozarks campus, which was introduced in 2015. It features remnants of a World Trade Center I-beam recovered from Ground Zero.

Family members of the perished were among those who attended the ceremony, which included music from the College of the Ozarks Concert Band, a raising of the 9/11 National Remembrance Flag, and rose petals representing each of the fallen that were presented by fifth-grade students at the college's S. Truett Cathy Lower School.

Branson firefighters were also featured in the ceremony, paying tribute to the nearly 350 New York City firefighters who died in the aftermath of the attacks. A giant U.S. flag was hung in front of the entry of the College of the Ozarks campus by two extended fire truck ladders.

Those who attended Monday were a blend of students and community members.

“College of the Ozarks is intentional about involving students in such important remembrances to help them learn, so that we never forget,” said Valorie Coleman, public relations director.

Much of the College of the Ozarks' student body hadn't yet been born when the attacks occurred, including freshman Walker Patton.

Patton, an Arkansas native and a member of the College of the Ozark's men's basketball program, said it was "surreal" to be near the World Trade Center beam and witness the ceremony.

He said he may not have been born during the attacks, but learned about the significant of the 9/11 through his family and what he learned in school.

"Everybody came together that day. It didn't matter what race you were, what gender you were ... it really unified us all," Patton said. "It was a really bad day, but it brought a lot of people together."

The Associated Press contributed to this report

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: College of the Ozarks commemorates lives lost in 9/11 terrorist attack