Diane Rawl has not forgotten the heroes of 9/11 and the wars that followed.

She is the Lexington mother of Ryan Rawl who was killed fighting for freedom in 2012 in Afghanistan

She was joined Saturday morning by a crowd of families who came to the Columbia Convention Center to honor the heroes of 9/11 and the wars in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

Mrs. Rawl said all of us should be troubled that today, 20 years after the terrorists’ sneak attack, that some misguided souls want to defund the police and think it is all right to shoot at firefighters.

Chaplain Christopher Wade had reassuring words.

He said the war in Afghanistan was not lost because we planted the seeds of freedom there.

Others told of their feelings about the events of 2001 and those of today.

Dawn Yamashiro of Irmo spoke of her brother Brian Warner who was excited about going to his new job at the World Trade Center that fateful morning. He died Sept. 11, one day shy of his one-year anniversary.

“Brian will always be 32 years old to us,” she said.

Dan Hennigan, founder of the 9/11 Remembrance Foundation of SC, drew a parallel of friendship between New York and Columbia forged in the 1865 burning of the state capital.

Union troops – some New York firefighters – felt guilty about leaving Columbia with no fire equipment.

The 1st fire carriage they bought and sent south was lost at sea. Their 2nd one made it to Columbia.

After 9/11, White Knoll Middle School students raised $500,000 to return the favor with a fire truck to replace one lost at the World Trade Center.

Gov. Henry McMaster spoke of how the heroism of 9/11 demonstrated American exceptionalism.

“The only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask,” he said. “What if we lived in a place where no ones had life, liberty or an opportunity to pursue happiness?”