GEORGETOWN, Del. - An organization in Georgetown hosted an event to remember those that fell on 9/11.
CHEER, Inc. provides numerous services to people ages 50 and older. On Tuesday, Sept. 10 they hosted an event called Remembering Patriot Day.
They also honored past and present members of the military.
The event was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Georgetown at the CHEER Community Center located at 20520 Sand Hill Road (east of the circle.)
The event featured personal memories and educational materials. Admission was free.
Walter Koopman is the Board President for CHEER, Inc.
Koopman served in the Korean War from 1951 to 1952 with the 25th Infantry Division, he was a foot soldier at the time. He went up to the grade of E-5, which is a staff sergeant.
Afterwards, he came back home. From there, he went to Fort Devens Massachusetts. He then shipped out to Fontainbleau, Paris, France where he worked for a four star general for four years.
Koopman went up the rank to Sergeant Major and then came back to the states and ended up in Killeen, Texas and Fort Hood, Texas. He was discharged as a Sergeant Major from the United States Army.
He told CoastTV this event is about more than just his experiences.
"We have these exhibits and all to allow the public to come in and see history and try to keep a legacy going. Whether it be about Pearl Harbor, Normandy or the Tuskegee Airmen," said Koopman.
There were numerous displays for all to see and Koopman had a display for the Korean War. Included in the display was a picture of him from when he was 17 years old serving in the Army.
Walter Koopman 17 years old serving in the Korean War.
Along with the picture, was his armored vest and water can that he used while he in Korea.
Walter Koopman's armored vest and water can from Korean War.
"Of course, we should never forget 9/11, September 11, 2001 when we were brutally attacked in the Twin Towers in New York City," said Koopman.
Thomas Lombardo was in attendance with a 9/11 display. Lombardo was a Captain for American Airlines in 2001 when four planes were hijacked. In the middle of Lombardo's display was a picture of his best friend, Charles Burlingame.
Burlingame was the Captain of Flight 77, which was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon.
Lombardo shared some of what that fateful day looked like for him. "It started off like a pretty normal day. I actually was just getting ready to go out for a run and was watching the Today Show and watched with everybody else, the first airplane hit the World Trade Center.
Initially, Lombardo did not know the size of the plane. He thought it was a smaller airplane that became disoriented or lost an engine and flew into the tower accidentally.
By the time the second plane hit the second tower, Lombardo said he knew "we were in trouble."
"Probably about 20 minutes or so, I got a frantic call from the Chief Pilot at American Airlines whose office is at the Reagan National Airport and he was frantically telling me 'Tom, Tom, I just called Sherry (Captain Burlingame's wife) and told her it was Chick," Lombardo explained.
Chick was Captain Burlingame's nickname.
After meeting up with Burlingame's wife, Lombardo took it upon himself to notify Burlingame's brother and sister who lived across the country in California. He said he did not want them to find out on the news, he wanted it to come from someone close to the family.
Following the tragic events on 9/11, Lombardo became a vital part in ensuring Burlingame was properly laid to rest.
"I actually became the liaison between American Airlines and the family," Lombardo shared. "It was both a privilege and heartbreaking, and that was the day."
Thomas Lombardo says every year around this time feels different.
"It's very strange because sometimes it feels like it happened yesterday and the sometimes it feels like it happened a long time ago in somebody else's life. But in any event, you wind up reliving at least parts of it.
He remembers his best friend of over 15 years as a charismatic man, with a unique personality and a loud, distinctive laugh.
"I feel like it's a special event and Walter's a special guy," Lombardo said as he expressed his gratitude for being asked to be a part of the event.
Koopman along with his CHEER team host this event annually, right before the anniversary of 9/11.