Defenders of Freedom & Liberty conducted a 9/11 memorial observance on Saturday morning at Shelbyville Central High School.  

The event was to honor the 20th anniversary of the tragic attack on the World Trade Center.  

Pastor David Wall of Tullahoma, formerly of Rover, gave the invocation and closing prayer.  

Veteran Donnie Porter opened the program before a sparse crowd. Alexandria Bradford was vocalist.  

Guest speaker was Senior Marine Instructor and Retired U.S. Marine Corp Col. Jeffrey Johnson.  

Accompanying him to the program were cadets from Tullahoma High School’s ROTC program, where he instructs. His wife, Linda, accompanied him.  

Johnson talked about where he was and his responsibilities during the time of the plane crashes on Sept. 11, 2001.  

He discussed how his career guided him toward Ground Zero in the days following the attack. The Marine colonel said WTC (World Trade Center) to him, signifies a different acronym.  

He said to him, “W” stands for witness—go out and remind the world. He said “T” stands for thanking those who served. Finally, he said “C” in WTC reminds him that everyone should be under conviction and should dust off their flags and other patriotic memorabilia and display with pride the nation’s colors.  

One of his favorite scriptures he quoted was Psalm 27—a cry for help and ultimately a declaration of belief in the greatness of God and trust in the protection God provides.  

On Friday evening, Defenders of Freedom & Liberty, a nonprofit group, created a flag display on Lane Parkway.  

Tim Estes, organizer, said Saturday that nearly 3,000 flags were placed in 45 minutes time, thanks to 80 to 100 volunteers.  

Defenders of Freedom & Liberty is not affiliated with any political groups.  

The group said Saturday it is dedicated to the remembrance of veterans of the United States Armed Forces for their services and sacrifice