Students honor 9/11 victims

— Quiet. Sober. Respectful. High school students who were 6- to 8-years-old a decade ago knelt Monday to place flags in honor of those who lost their lives when the Twin Towers fell Sept. 11, 2001.

There was no jostling, no smirking, no joking.

The nearly 500 high school students, a few middle school students, faculty members and staff filed out of Pea Ridge High School Monday morning carrying small flags, entered the circle surrounding the flag pole in front of the school, and knelt to place the flags in the ground in remembrance of the thousands who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001.

The quiet was palpable inside the cafeteria where students sat, the walls lined with faculty members, to watch a video showing footage from the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.

“I believe love is the answer,” crooned the singer on the video.

Dressed in blue T-shirts emblazoned with the Pea Ridge Fire Department logo and blue pants, Pea Ridge volunteer firefighters stood elbow to elbow with Fire Chief Frank Rizzio and assistant chief Dino Collins in their starched white shirts, Pea Ridge police officers in their dark blue uniforms, Police Chief Tim Ledbetter and Mayor Jackie Crabtree.

Standing among the firefighters were students who are also members of three different area fire departments - Pea Ridge seniors Chris Foster, 18,an Avoca firefighter; Devin Morgan, 18, a Northeast Benton County Volunteer Fire Department firefighter; and Jordan Hayes, 18, and Johnny Simpkins, 17, Pea Ridge Volunteer Fire Department firefighters. Senior Wes Harper, 17, already enlisted in the Marines, stood wearing camouflage fatigues. He will be in basic training in June.

Band director Matt McCool played “Taps” on a trumpet.

Michael Smith, youth pastor for First Baptist Church, Pea Ridge, led the group in prayer.

Principal Rick Neal, Social Studies teachers and Student Council members were instrumental in organizing the event.

“I was extremely pleased. It was a great opportunity to honor those who serve. I thought it was a very, very pleasant experience,” Neal said.

News, Pages 1 on 09/14/2011