Hattiesburg, Petal events to honor those who lost their lives in 9/11 terrorist attacks

Lici Beveridge, Hattiesburg American
·2 min read
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A 9/11 memorial in downtown Hattiesburg, Miss., on the 20th anniversary, Sept. 11, 2021.
A 9/11 memorial in downtown Hattiesburg, Miss., on the 20th anniversary, Sept. 11, 2021.

The City of Hattiesburg will remember the people, including 412 first responders in New York City, who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Nearly 3,000 people died when four commercial planes were hijacked. Two crashed into Towers 1 and 2 of the World Trade Center. Once crashed into the Pentagon. One was forced down into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The ceremony will begin at 8:40 a.m. Monday outside Hattiesburg Fire Station No. 1, 810 North Main St.

A bell will be rung at 8:46 a.m. and again at 9:03 a.m. — the moments American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center.

Across the street is a memorial sculpture of the Twin Towers where a wreath is laid each year.

Col. William "Lee" Henry
Col. William "Lee" Henry

The ceremony will feature a keynote by Col. William "Lee" Henry, Post Commander at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center.

He previously served as director of military support for the Mississippi National Guard at the Joint Force Headquarters in Jackson.

Hattiesburg Fire Chief Sherrocko Stewart and Police Chief Peggy Sealy also will give remarks during the solemn occasion.

9/11 Memorial Stair Climb

On Saturday, the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb will be at Panther Stadium in Petal. Registration begins at 7 a.m. The opening ceremony is at 7:40 a.m. The stair climb begins at 8 a.m.

Participants will climb the bleachers of Panther Stadium 24 times, which represents the number of stairs of the 110 floors of the World Trade Center.

The event is a fundraiser to benefit local first responders in need.

Four Mississippians died in the 2001 attacks

  • James Cleere, a 1964 Hattiesburg High School graduate living in Des Moines, Iowa, was an insurance representative and had been sent to a company meeting in New York. He was staying at Marriott World Trade Center between the twin towers.

  • Ada Mason, 50, originally from Picayune, graduated from Jackson State University. She was a budget analyst for the Army and died while working in the Pentagon.

  • Jerry Don "D.D." Dickerson, 41, grew up in Yazoo County and spent his last two years of high school in Durant. A systems analyst and lieutenant colonel in the Army, he was killed while working in the Pentagon.

  • James "Joe" Ferguson, 39, who grew up in Durant, was director of the National Geographic Society's geography education outreach program. He died aboard American Airlines Flight 77, the plane that flew into the Pentagon.

Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: 9/11 events in Hattiesburg, Petal