The rain didn’t stop Nesquehoning emergency responders, residents and members of the VFW Post 8008 from gathering to remember those who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Keynote speaker Nesquehoning police officer Frederick Lahovski Jr. urged everyone to honor the people who lost their lives that fateful day 21 years ago and voiced his thankfulness to a country that has provided so many freedoms to its people. Lahovski is a seasoned officer, as well as a Marine Corps veteran, serving 27 years in law enforcement.

“I have had many trials and tribulations and I am here today with this message of inspiration,” he said. “We all know Sept. 11 and we all know what it entailed. This is not the end. This was not the beginning. America has had a constant storm to weather. We weathered it at our inception with the American Revolution. We weathered it with the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, and the global war on terror.”

He called the men and women of the VFW who served in the military, as well as the first responders, the real heroes who made the sacrifices and still are dedicated to serving others.

“We need to pay respects not only to 9/11, but all the moments in the history of the world,” Lahovski said.

Other speakers for the event included VFW Commander Craig Strohl, Mayor Tom Kattner, Senior Vice Commander Roderick T. Bliss, and Auxiliary President Christa Acciarito.

“Today is a solemn day, but also a great day,” Strohl said. “It’s a day where our country was not defeated, but they were hit hard. It was a day Americans came together.”

He explained that while over 3,000 lives were lost during those attacks, another 10,000 plus military lives were killed in action in the years that followed those attacks defending their country because of terrorism.

“We have to think about those brave policemen, firefighters and soldiers who carried on the fight against the war on terrorism,” Strohl said.

Father Robert Teklinski, pastor of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Nesquehoning, also provided the invocation, as well as a blessing over the first responders, as well as the vehicles they drive.