Those who gathered Monday morning at Green Veterans Park couldn't help but notice that the weather was just like September 11, 2001—beautiful and sunny.
The ideal conditions sent memories rushing back to a day that started out normally, but ended with thousands of innocent lives lost in New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.
Among those killed were 343 firefighters and more than 60 law enforcement officers.
"As you go through the day and you figure out the magnitude and how bad it really was, and it was just devastating to the first responder community," recalled Green Fire Chief Jeff Funai.
Green selected the 16-year anniversary of that tragic day to dedicate a monument that honors all first responders.
It includes plaques recognizing the work of dispatchers, law enforcement officers and firefighters.
In the crowd was Uniontown Police Sgt. David White who was shot four times during a domestic violence call last July.
"The bullet wound to my stomach is still not quite healed," White said. "And then, of course, my incision was from my sternum to my hairline."
White said the first responders monument is an amazing honor to the men and women who serve, protect and save.
"When something like this happens, you see the outpouring of the support from the people that do care. There's a lot more people that care than don't, and they show it. I get goosebumps from it," White said.
Ohio Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, a Green resident, touched and surprised the crowd when she spoke about first responders saving her son's life.
"Twice you showed up at my house and you saved my son from an overdose," Taylor told the large crowd. "I am a grateful mother who could never repay."
Taylor said a dispatcher walked her other son through CPR.
After the ceremony, she talked to News 5 about her decision to speak publicly about the private matter.
"It dawned on me the person who saved my son's life is probably standing behind me and I just felt this overwhelming need to say thank you."
$90,000 in community donations paid for the plaza in the park where the monument stands.
