Jeff Moeller, sports correspondent

Twenty five years ago, Ernie Siegler was working at Colonial Oil and Gas when the 9/11 terrorist attacks began.

“We heard it on the radio and went to the lab to watch it on TV,” said Siegler. “It was emotional. You wouldn’t think of a bunch of grown men who would sit around and cry. You just saw the devastation that had taken place.”

Siegler, who now resides in Effingham County, was present at a first responders luncheon at Pembroke’s J. Dixie Harn Community Center to honor them for their service and also to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Siegler works at the Flanders Powell Funeral Home, which sponsored the event.

His son, Phillip, and daughter, Victoria are both first responders for Bryan County while his son-in-law, Ben Pape, works as a first responder in Effingham. Siegler has a preserved copy of Time Magazine, which published photos of the Sept. 11 attacks, for his children and grandchildren.

“It was a very eerie being along the water,” said Siegler. “There’s tanks on the ports that are bigger than your house around you, and a little Piper (plane) crashing into them can cause devastation. We were just very alert about what was going on around us.”

Siegler recalled how his Baptist church began playing chimes at 6 p.m. that day.

“About 50 people had shown up,” said Siegler. “The bells ringing attracted people to come into the church and pray for the country. My kids were on high alert and had to stay in hand.”

“I had moved in with my mother,” continued Siegler. “When I got home, she told me that I had to turn it off because she couldn’t watch it anymore.”

Audie Powell, who is the funeral director at Flanders Powell, began the luncheon 11 years ago as a token of appreciation for first responders in the area. The luncheon is typically attended from anywhere from 50 to 80 responders.

He began a seven-and-half-year stint in the Marine Corps in 2000. A year later, Powell was nearly in his first conflict.

“I was in the military at Camp Lejeune,” remembered Powell. “After we were told what happened, we all just went and drew weapons and stood around the base. They put us on high alert for the day.

It was a time of stark reality.

“We didn't know where or if we were going anywhere,” added Powell. “But that’s what I was there to do. Everyone came together at the time, and that was a great thing to see.”

Jesse France, who is the chaplain for the Sheriff's Department and the Pembroke Police Department as well as the pastor of Pembroke’s United Methodist Church, initially believed the attacks were fictional.

“I was at the sales counter at the store,” recounted France, who works at Owens Supply Company. “At first I thought it was a movie. Then I realized it wasn’t.

“I ran home and brought back my little black and white TV and set it on the counter. People who came into the store stood there for about an hour, watching the rerun of it. I was thinking how can we let this happen.”

France, who served in the Army from 1971-94, soon began to come to grips with the situation.

“I said to myself, ‘how did we get here?’ “added France. “It was a sobering moment. We all thought we would never have to worry about that stuff until it actually happened. We thought this could never happen on American soil. To me, it was a wake-up call.”

Yet, France was relieved to see how the country responded.

“It was amazing for about six months to a year how it was like in the old days going back to World War II,” said France. “Back then, people did whatever they had to do. Women were helping, and men were in the military. You saw the same kind of reaction.

“It was the kind of cohesiveness the country needed to prosper.”

David Mizell, a first sergeant in the Pembroke Police Department, was working in a different profession in Jacksonville, but he still has vivid memories of the day.

“I was at work listening to sports talk radio,” said Mizell. “At first, I thought it was an accident when the first plane hit. When the second plane hit, I knew it wasn’t an accident.

“There’s not too many things in life that shock you to that extent.”

Soon after the incident, Mizell and his wife, who is from New Jersey, made a trip to see Ground Zero to pay their respects and remind themselves and others of the aftermath from the event.

“It was quite an experience to be there,” said Mizell. “Looking back, it was kind of like World War II when everyone came together afterwards.

“There hasn’t been too many times when that has happened. People who lived through it have to tell and remind their kids about it. Visiting the site can really help.”

Mizell hopes the events of Sept. 11 and what came afterward will continue to be remembered by future generations.

“At least we have something that can still bring us together,” emphasized Mizell. “Social media can pull us away from things like that. We don’t sit around the TV anymore and come together as a country like we did then.

“You will always remember where you were and what you were doing. Certain things in life you never forget.”