10/02/2026
Today, WCS Superintendent Dr. Hoffert stopped by the WCHS Library to donate a framed & signed piece of history—connecting our students and our school community to one of the most recognizable photographs from September 11, 2001.
Award-winning photographer and multimedia journalist Thomas Franklin captured the iconic photograph of three firefighters raising an American flag at Ground Zero following the attacks on September 11, 2001. The photograph became one of the most recognized images of that day and was later featured on the United States Postal Service’s Heroes of 2001 fundraising stamp.
Franklin has generously shared his firsthand experience with Warsaw Community Schools students on multiple occasions, including visits in 2017 and 2021. This year, WCS welcomed him back on September 18 as part of the 25th anniversary commemoration of 9/11. He shared the story behind his photograph and his experience documenting the aftermath at Ground Zero with our fifth-grade students, followed by a photography and videography workshop with WCHS students.
Now, a piece of that history has found a home in the WCHS Library—a place dedicated to learning, stories, information, and preserving the connections between our past and our future.
We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Hoffert and Warsaw Community Schools for this meaningful donation and for recognizing the importance of preserving history for the students who walk through our doors today and in the years to come.
