LEGION POST 68 AND LINCOLN ELEMENTARY COMMEMORATE 9-11

On September 11, 2026, in the packed gymnasium at Lincoln Elementary School in Leland, Principal Evan Roush recalled that it all began with a simple request to properly dispose of an unserviceable American flag. With help from School Resource Officer Brunswick County Deputy Raul Brewster and Dale Todd, head of the John E. Jacobs American Legion Post 68’s Americanism program, the request grew into a remembrance event marking the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001—the tragedy that profoundly changed American life and caused unspeakable loss.

Hundreds of students, teachers, staff, and community members gathered at Lincoln Elementary School in Leland to solemnly mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Led by members of the John E. Jacobs American Legion Post 68, attendees listened closely as speakers emphasized the need to respectfully remember those who died in the attacks and those who responded in the aftermath at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA. Each speaker also highlighted the resilience and unity Americans demonstrated in response to the tragedy.

Principal Roush delivered opening remarks, welcoming surviving members of the John E. Jacobs family—Minnie Holliday and Sherry Davis—and thanked Post 68 for its leadership and support at Lincoln. Post 68 Commander Tom Powers spoke of the bravery, kindness, and teamwork that carried the nation through the tragic events of 9/11 and its aftermath, and implored students to remember and practice those ideals in their own lives. He then recited “I’m Your Flag,” a resounding poem of endurance and resilience written by Teryl E. Williamson a few days after the terrorist attack.

Jim McAvoy, Post 68’s 1st Vice Commander, who had served with the Easton, Massachusetts, Police Department, shared his experiences upon arriving at Ground Zero the day after the tragedy and during the week that followed. McAvoy escorted a contingent of Massachusetts relief workers who convoyed supplies to aid their fellow first responders at Ground Zero. As he described his experiences, he emphasized, “people from all walks of life were coming to help,” reinforcing the theme of helpfulness and resilience in the face of tragedy, as Commander Powers had espoused.

At the conclusion of the speakers, McAvoy, along with Post 68 Parliamentarian Dale Todd, presented Principal Rousch with a flag that had flown over the Ground Zero Memorial and was dedicated to Lincoln Elementary School. Post 68 member Alan Simmons, who had been working in the building and escaped the destruction and inferno at Tower 1 on 9-11, arranged for the flag's delivery to the school but was unable to attend the ceremony due to illness. Afterward, Todd led a small group in a brief, solemn ceremony to raise a new school flag and then lower it to half-mast in honor of the lives lost on that fateful day.

Special thanks to North Brunswick High School senior Laden Anderson, who played Taps at the flag ceremony, and to his parents, Matt and Cassandra, who teach at Lincoln. Thanks also to Post 68 members who attended and helped make the event a success: Marco Mangione, Eric Mens, Rick Rogers, Bill Smith, and Frank Pain and Bill Powell, who performed the outdoor flag-raising.

 L-R: Jim McAvoy, Principal Evan Rousch, Dale Todd