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Shelby Township police and fire personnel attend the ceremony, which honored first responders.
Photo provided by Shelby Township
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — To honor people who protect the community at home and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, Shelby Township hosted its eighth annual Patriot Day prayer service Sept. 12 at the township’s Veterans Memorial.
Rick Stathakis, Shelby Township supervisor, said the event was a time for everyone in the community to come together and remember those who served.
“It was another unique and important opportunity to remember our patriots in 2001. I remember it as a time in which our nation stood together, and it gives me hope that our unity as a nation will continue,” Stathakis said via email.
Veterans Events Coordinator Phil Randazzo, a Vietnam veteran whose honors include two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars for valor, and the Shelby Township Police and Fire departments hosted the event.
“The events and heroes of Sept. 11, 2001, must never fade into history. Our prayer service gives our police officers and firefighters a chance to stand with the rest of our community to pay respects to our fallen heroes and remember their sacrifices after Sept. 11, 2001,” he stated in a press release.
The service recognized the township’s first responders. It also paid respects to six residents who died from injuries sustained while serving in the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan following Sept. 11, 2001, as part of the Global War on Terror: Mark Barbret, Tarryl Hill, Christopher Kube, D. Alex Knapp, Todd Lambka and Kyle McClain.
Shelby Township Police Department and Shelby Township Fire Department officials led the Pledge of Allegiance before performances of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.” The event closed with a brief prayer service.
“We have a very patriotic community that supports our police officers and firefighters in a way that makes me feel extremely proud to call the township home and blessed to serve as its supervisor,” Stathakis stated in a press release.
“This prayer service is very moving, and it is hard to put the experience into words. Seeing police officers, firefighters and veterans together to remember their fallen peers emboldens your love of country. It renews your dedication to preserve our nation for future generations, “ Stathakis stated.
For more information on the Shelby Township Veterans Memorial and all veterans events, contact the Supervisor’s Office at (586) 731-5154.
