(WSIL) -- It's been 20 years since the 9/11 attacks where 2,977 innocent people died. It's a day that will always be remembered in American history. To honor the victims, News 3 is taking a look back at how the country came together during one of its darkest moments.
Those who were alive and old enough, can remember exactly where they were at and what they were doing on September 11, 2001 including former Carbondale Fire Chief Ted Lomax.
Lomax, who retired in 2018, served as Union President for the southern region and happened to be in a meeting with local firefighters.
"Everyone of us knew that when that first tower fell that there were hundreds of firefighters in there because that's what we do," he recalls. "To know that many lives were lost immediately is pretty devastating."
At the time, Lomax was still working his way up the ladder, and was a firefighter eager to drop everything to go to New York City. But that wasn't possible as Illinois governor George Ryan put a restriction on first responders from leaving the state.
"Chicago was on the list of cities that were possible targets, sot hey didn't really want get caught short handed if an emergency happened," he explains.
As soon as the restriction was lifted, Lomax and eight others from southern Illinois hopped on a plane and touched down in the Big Apple. Other local firefighters did the same from departments like Carterville, Marion and many others.
What was left of the World Trade Towers on that November 1st day is a scene still burned into his memory
"The fire was still going, so they were still pumping water into the towers into the rubble," Lomax remembers. "While they were still digging through and trying to do recoveries."
Of the 9/11 victims, 343 of them were fighters or a little more than 10% of the people who passed away that day.
Lomax was there to serve as Honor Guard at the funerals of his fallen brothers and sisters, attending two to four services each day. Including the funerals of lifelong friends Michael Boyle and David Arce who grew up together, became firefighters together, and were described as inseparable.
"Mr. Boyle came across the room and over to me again and was like I really appreciate you guys traveling," Lomax says about attending Arce and Boyle's visitation and funerals. "It's pretty phenomenal."
While dressed up in their uniforms and walking the streets, strangers approached him and the crew he was with offering hugs and giving thanks for their service.
By Day 9, with a little more than a few hours of sleep each night, the fuel to keep going ticked to empty.
"I was ready to get home and hug my wife and kids," he reflect back. "Pretty much emotionally drained."
It's been two decades since that call to action and Lomax has yet to go back, but if he does, there are a few things on his list.
"I would really like to see the memorial," he says. "Probably even more than that just the firehouses that we went to and just see how things are going. It's a different type atmosphere. It's a family atmosphere when you go in there and shut the door. It's a different place."
News 3 isn't the first to hear this story. Throughout his fire career, Lomax went to local schools around the region to teach students about 9/11 through his own experience.
