Myrtle Beach first responders honor sacrifices of 9/11 fallen at evening tribute

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A mix of remembrance, hope and pride spread through Myrtle Beach’s Plyler Park on Tuesday for an evening tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 9/11 terror attacks.

Among the rippling American flags, moments of prayer and a satellite performance by the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir, city first responders praised the heroism not only of their own, but the citizen heroes created in a moment.

“After 9/11, we were simply Americans,” Myrtle Beach Fire Chief Tom Gwyer said. “My hope is that we never forget that American spirit, because it is that that makes us, the United States of America, the greatest nation in the world.”

The remembrance, co-sponsored by the city, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Mount Olive AME Church, capped off a string of tributes across the region on the 23rd anniversary of the attacks.

Gwyer said small acts of kindness across the country and selfless instincts of Ground Zero firefighters have stayed with him a generation later.

“That spirit was present in every stranger that helped another stranger. It was illustrated when the first responders rushed to the World Trade Center with little care for their own being,” he said.

Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock agreed.

“Make no mistake at all. Those we are honoring today impacted countless lives, whether it was their family and close friends, their brothers and sisters on the job, members of the public that they saved during and after the attacks. They made positive impacts on so many people,” she said. “We could stay here all night talking about that.”

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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