Sep 1, 2008 By Patty Yauger 2 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – City police Chief Ed McSheffery will be the keynote speaker as the Connellsville Veterans Commission pays tribute to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, and those who responded to the tragedies. The ceremony will take place Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Plaza adjacent to the city municipal building.

The program will honor the passengers and crews of American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77 and United Airlines Flight 93 that were overtaken by terrorists and then crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade center in New York; the Pentagon and a Shanksville farm field, killing those onboard the aircraft and others in the buildings.

Also, many who responded to the scenes died.

Master of ceremonies will be former Connellsville Area School District superintendent and Vietnam War veteran Gerald Browell.

Along with the Connellsville Veterans Commission, the Connellsville Area High School band and the Rev. Dean Meyers, pastor of the First Baptist Church, will take part in the program.

McSheffery, an 18-year veteran with the department was promoted to chief in January following the retirement of former chief Stephen Cooper.

A graduate of Fairchance-Georges High School and Penn State University, McSheffery was hired as a federal prison guard and then offered a position with the Connellsville police force.

He is the son of Kenneth and Rose McSheffery of Shoaf. He resides in Connellsville with his wife Jamie and daughters Marissa and Madison.