Killeen ISD commemorates September 11 and fallen heroes with the 18th annual Freedom Walk

With songs, speeches and patriotic steps, Killeen ISD commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 with its 18th annual Freedom Walk on Wednesday.

The memorial service to remember and honor the 2,977 lives lost was attended by KISD board and administration members, elected officials, members of the U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Cavazos, first responders from Fort Cavazos, Killeen, Harker Heights and Nolanville, veterans, students and community members.

“As we gather in solidarity, we honor the memory of those we lost on September 11, 2001, and pay tribute to the extraordinary courage of the first responders, military personnel and everyday heroes who rose to the challenge on that fateful day,” said Col. Lakicia Stokes, U.S. Army Garrison Commander at Fort Cavazos.

The ceremony began in the Killeen High auditorium, where KHS student and emcee Anthony Lonebear-Gordon welcomed the audience and called on the Harker Heights Police Department flag guard to raise the flags.

The Chaparral High School Chorale Silver Lynx then sang the national anthem. The choir also sang “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America.”

Lonebar-Gordon, whose mother Darnice and father Jayceson are war veterans, said he was honored to be asked to participate in the Freedom Walk.

“It was just a great opportunity,” said Lonebear-Gordon, KHS color guard colonel. “I think it’s about paying respect and honoring those who have passed away. It’s an important day for everyone. My mom always talks about the significance of this day and how everything has changed.”

Jo Ann Fey, superintendent of Killeen ISD, spoke about the collective impact of 9/11 on everyone from military personnel to first responders and their families, and encouraged school and community leaders to continue to be proactive and share the importance of recognizing one of the most significant moments in United States history.

“To our students who are here today, you weren’t born then, but we’re doing this today so that as adults we can be role models. That’s our mission at KISD,” Fey said. “So let’s say today that we in Killeen ISD, we in the city of Killeen and Harker Heights and Nolanville and in Bell County, we will lead by example and be a model of what we will never forget.”

Other guests of honor included members of the Gold Star family and after a video presentation, keynote speaker and Gold Star wife Cindy Hildner was introduced by KHS student Devi Ramsumare.

“On this 23rd anniversary, we must not only honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, but also remember the families who lost loved ones that day,” said Hildner, whose late husband, Brigadier General Terry Hildner, died while in the line of duty on Feb. 3, 2012, just months before their sons graduated from Killeen High School.

“Remembering and honoring our dead is patriotic and deeply appreciated,” Hildner added. “That is true on this day, September 11th. When we pause and reflect on a day like today, we are reminded of how vulnerable we are and how important it is to remain vigilant.”

After the indoor portion of the ceremony, everyone made their way to Leo Buckley Stadium in a long, flag-laden procession, to the beat of the KHS drum band, in which the KHS JROTC also participated.

There, the event concluded with Angenet Wilkerson, KISD’s director of public relations, reciting the names of the fallen heroes represented by the Gold Star families, ringing the traditional bell that signals a firefighter’s “homecoming,” and Michael Martinez, a 12th-grader at Killeen High School, playing the tattoo.

“It really changed everyone’s lives. We went from peacetime to wartime in an instant,” said Darnice Lonebear, her son Anthony at arm’s length on the trail. “Everyone has a story and can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing.”

Jose Soto’s story began on his day off.

Soto, who was assigned to the New York Police Department’s 52nd Precinct, was off duty at sunrise on September 11, 2001.

But shortly after 8:46 a.m. Eastern Time, Soto had work to do.

Everything changed suddenly with the events of September 11. Soto, who served with the NYPD for 23 years and is a retired US Army veteran, describes that day as an open wound. “We still carry that with us,” he says.

On Wednesday, the Killeen resident, whose elementary school-aged grandchildren attend Killeen ISD, joined hundreds of others to take another step toward healing.

For more photos from Killeen ISD’s 18th Freedom Walk, visit: