On Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m., College of the Ozarks held a special ceremony to commemorate the lives of those who perished in the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony was held at the Lest We Forget 9/11 Memorial located next to the Point Lookout Fire Department on James Forsythe Drive on the College of the Ozarks Campus.

POINT LOOKOUT, MO — The College of the Ozarks camps was somber and reflective as the campus and local community remembered the thousands of lives that were lost in the tragedy of 9/11.

Each year, College of the Ozarks takes the morning of Sept. 11^th to commemorate the fallen and to remember the service of first responders by hosting the Lest We Forget Memorial Service. This year, the College hosted Capt. Maria Lohmeyer, who actively serves as the chief of public affairs for the United States Transportation Command. She shared her experience, and her story reminds us of the fear, but also the unity, that our country experienced in the wake of the tragedy.

The service also honored those who lost loved ones in the attacks of 9/11, including Lucy Willet, who lost her son, John, in the World Trade Center towers; Orland and Karen Amundson, who lost their son, Army Specialist Craig Amundson, in the Pentagon; and Col. Karen Hobson, who lost her sister, Angela Reed Kyte, in the World Trade Center towers. These individuals were presented with roses by fourth grade students from School of the Ozarks as a symbol of solidarity and remembrance.

This year, the College hosted Capt. Maria Lohmeyer, who actively serves as the chief of public affairs for the United States Transportation Command. She shared her experience, and her story reminds us of the fear, but also the unity, that our country experienced in the wake of the tragedy.

Lohmeyer has a diverse portfolio of experience spanning government, private and military sectors in communication and stakeholder engagement, change transformation, leadership coaching, strategic planning and production, protocol and logistics, and national defense. She has worked for the U.S. Congress, White House, and U.S. Navy; in consulting practices at Assuage LLC, Booz Allen Hamilton, Accenture, and Alpha Delta Pi International; and in the entertainment industry for The Walt Disney Company.

The ceremony included a welcome by Brig. Gen. James P. Schreffler, College of the Ozarks vice president of patriotic activities, music from the College of the Ozarks Concert Band, the raising of the 9/11 National Remembrance Flag, a special presentation by the fifth-grade students at the at the School of the Ozarks Truett Cathy Lower School, and a symbolic volley by Ted Martin, fire chief of Branson Fire Department, and Christ Berndt, fire chief of Western Taney County Fire Protection District.

“College of the Ozarks is intentional about involving and educating students in such important remembrances, so that we never forget,” said Chassidy Britain, director of patriotic activities. “This ceremony is a great opportunity for the community and campus family to come together and honor the many citizens and first responders who lost their lives.”