Guard Unit Captain Remembers 9/11 Response

PASCAGOULA -- Their 9/11 ceremony early Sunday morning was short but heartfelt.

"We had a real small ceremony," said Capt. Tim Moseley. "We raised (the flag) and then lowered it to half staff."

Moseley said the 7:30 a.m. flag raising included all 92 members of the 859th Engineering Company at the National Guard Armory on Shortcut Road, part of the 890th Engineering Battalion.

"We had our first formation and then we lowered the flag. That was pretty much it," he said.

REMEMBERING 9/11
Liberty and diversity: Chorale performs 9/11 tribute
The Mississippi Press/Sunday, September 12, 2011

The flag was lowered to half-staff in honor and remembrance of the nearly 3,000 victims of the terrorists attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, which was 10 years ago Sunday.

This year's anniversary came on a day when the guard members had drill duty, but they wanted to pay their respects to the civilians, firefighters, military personnel, and others who lost their lives or helped save lives during the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and on Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

Moseley, like most everyone in America, remembers where he was when he heard about the attacks, beginning with American Airlines Flight 11 into the north tower of the WTC at 8:46 a.m. , then United Airlines Flight 175 into the south tower about 15 minutes later. American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the Pentagon at 9:03 a.m.

United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, Penn., after passengers stormed the cockpit to take back the hijacked airplane. The flight had been delayed and passengers had learned of the earlier hijackings from family members who had reached them by cell phones.

"I knew when it happened we would deploy somewhere," said Moseley, who was a platoon leader at the time. "I knew immediately there would be a response."

He said he was glad and proud that the U.S. did respond quickly and went into Iraq.

Nation marks 9/11 anniversary with
SOLEMN CEREMONIES
The Sun Herald/Monday, September 12, 2011