Green Country Rallies After 9/11: Chaplain's Ground Zero Journal and Family's Healing Book Highlight Community Response
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, Green Country, Oklahoma, demonstrated a strong community response, sending local first responders to assist with rescue and recovery efforts in New York. Among them was Scott Keele, the longtime chaplain for the Broken Arrow Police and Fire Departments, who deployed to Ground Zero twice in late 2001. Keele meticulously documented his experiences in a journal, excerpts of which are now part of an exhibit at the Museum of Broken Arrow, aiming to preserve the memory of those affected. Separately, the Broken Arrow family of Jim and Sheila Schmidt authored the children's book 'I Cried Too' in 2000, initially to help their own children cope with personal loss. After 9/11, the book gained national recognition, becoming part of the official 9/11 response effort by the City of New York, the Pentagon, and various fire and police departments, providing comfort to thousands of children who lost parents in the attacks.
