Published: September 13, 2008 08:04 pm      

Manchin, Elks salute first responders

BLUEFIELD — Gov. Joe Manchin III was serving as secretary of state on Sept. 11, 2001. During his keynote address at the Bluefield Elks Lodge 269 program Saturday, “Remembering 9/11 Tribute to our First Responders,” Manchin shared his account of the events of the day in the office he had in the state capitol prior to his election as governor.

“Several people came into the office and were watching television,” Manchin said. Although he knew his staff members were watching a live shot of smoke coming from the North Tower of the World Trade Center, his full attention wasn’t drawn into the moment until 9:06 a.m., when he, as well as millions of other Americans, watched a second airliner burst into flames as it struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

“We were all in turmoil,” Manchin said. Reports of the attack on the Pentagon and the fourth aircraft crashing in southwestern Pennsylvania came in, and Manchin began to get a picture of what was happening. “For that one day, we became a nation of one,” he said as the emergency responders being honored broke into applause. “It all sunk in that we had been attacked.

“It didn’t matter what color you were, how much money you had or the size of your portfolio. We just cared about ... Are you OK? Then I recall watching everyone run from the buildings in New York City, and watching the emergency responders running into harm’s way. We were running out, but you were running in,” he said. “I want to thank you again.”

Manchin said that as the national event was unfolding, he received a call telling him that there was an unidentified aircraft in the Charleston region and that he and his staff needed to evacuate. “We didn’t know at the time if every state capitol was targeted,” he said. “We got in our conference room and I asked a beautiful young lady on my staff who was studying to become a minister to pray. We all got together and she prayed. And she prayed. And she prayed,” Manchin said.

“I remember thinking that when they dig us out, there would be 20 people gathered around a table, holding hands in prayer,” he said. “Then I thought, if that’s the way the good Lord wants it, that’s the way it will be. That had to be one of the greatest, longest prayers I had ever heard in my life.”

Manchin told the emergency responders that the 25 volunteer departments of Mercer and McDowell counties will receive a $822,000 grant as part of his program to have West Virginia’s emergency responders totally wired by 2010.

Several Lodge officials and civic leaders shared their thoughts about the service of emergency responders. Dr. Randy Stevens provided some history of the lodge’s salute to first responders; Ashley Martin, president of the West Virginia Association of Elks expressed the state Elk’s appreciation to emergency responders; Ken Kormedy, Elks state public relations chair served as master of ceremonies; and both Bluefield Mayor Linda Whalen and Bluefield, Va., Mayor Don Harris shared their thoughts about two-state cooperation, especially among first responders.

Others on the program included Lodge Chaplain Gene Basham, Exalted Ruler Tony Morris, Past District Director Jackie Barlow, Dr. W.D. Hasty, the Bluefield High School JROTC and the Turner Brothers.

– Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com