Gone but not forgotten

In the stillness of the crisp morning air, they stood around the perimeter of the Daniel Island Commemorative Park – their hearts carrying the weight of what was lost. At times, the emotion of it all was hard to contain.

“We’re gathered here today to remember and honor the lives cut too short, of 18 souls,” began Daniel Island Rotarian Bill Stevens, as he opened the Nov. 15 ceremony in prayer. “Nine victims of a senseless shooting at Emanuel Church and nine brave Charleston firefighters who died in the Sofa Super Store fire…”

The event served as the official dedication ceremony commemorating the Daniel Island Rotary Club’s gift of a tree and plaque for the park in honor of those who perished in two of Charleston’s most tragic events. The Rotarians, who helped open the Commemorative Park two years ago, thought the quiet, tucked away site would serve as a special place to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in 2015 and the Sofa Super Store fire in 2007.

“We decided to honor both because our hearts are big on Daniel Island,” said Faith White, a long time Rotary Club member and Daniel Island resident. “Not too small to recognize that there are many things here that make this place special, that make our lives here special, and that make the people that are here special.”

Speaking at the event, in addition to Stevens and White, were Jane Baker, vice president of community services for the Daniel Island Property Owners Association; Capt. George Gardiner of the Charleston Fire Department; and Dr. Brenda Nelson of Mother Emanuel.

“This is going to be a hard one for me to get through, because of my personal experience with both tragedies,” said Baker, her voice cracking as she began her remarks to the crowd. “But the first thing I want to say is that the majority of people that live on Daniel Island may not have lived in Charleston their entire lives, but as soon as you put your head down on a pillow in Charleston and you wake up in the morning and call this place home, it embraces you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been here your whole life, or if you’ve been here five years, 10 years, 20 years…When a tragedy befalls this amazing city, it falls on all of our hearts and minds and souls - not just the dear family members that lost loved ones, or the colleagues that lost close friends, or the parishioners that lost great friends at church. It has impacted all of us.”

Baker was working for the City of Charleston at the time of the Sofa Super Store fire for then Mayor Joe Riley, who asked her to assist the firefighters and their families in the aftermath of the tragedy.

“There was no game book,” recalled Baker. “There was no person to call to say how do we handle this? It was a very trying time for those lovely, lovely families - for those incredibly brave firefighters who were remaining, who had gotten up the next day, come onto their shifts and continued to protect this community, despite the broken hearts they had.”

Baker praised not only Daniel Island but the entire city for its response to both gut-wrenching events.

“This city came together and taught the country how to be strong,” she said. “Charleston strong. The phrase ‘strong’ after a community’s name – we may not have created it, but we defined it. I am so proud to be part of this community and for the Rotary Club to have been so generous in their spirit in honoring the lives of these lost souls.”

Captain Gardiner, who now works out of the Daniel Island Fire Station, was one of the firefighters who responded to the Sofa Super Store fire. He was also part of the response team at Mother Emanuel.

“It still bothers me to this day,” said Gardiner, pausing for a moment to fight back tears. “…It still hurts, with all 18 people that died. I am proud to see this for both – the Mother Emanuel 9 and the Charleston 9. It’s an honor.”

The Rev. Dr. Brenda Nelson was supposed to attend the Bible study at Mother Emanuel the night of the shooting, but left early to take care of an emergency at home. She thanked the Daniel Island community for their continued support and prayers for her church.

“We do say thank you,” said Nelson, director of the new Mother Emanuel Empowerment Center. “…Even in the immediate aftermath of June 17, my response was though we grieve, we see the glory of God. And we continue to see the glory of God, and we’re just encouraged and we’re strengthened to know that in all of this God still does all things well…And we know, as a community, we’re in this together.”

Nelson also shared the difficulties the Mother Emanuel Church community experienced in learning about the recent church shooting in Texas.

“A lot of the emotions and feelings of June 17 began to resurface,” she said. “…At the Empowerment Center, we opened the doors for people to just have the opportunity to process through that grief. So we say thank you because we never want these lives, whether it’s the lives of the Charleston 9 or the Emanuel 9, to be forgotten. Because it was such a great sacrifice.”

As the words on the bottom of the plaque express, the memory of that sacrifice is not likely to fade.

“Charleston strong. Daniel Island remembers.”