“You will always be part of an extraordinary community of fighters, builders and believers who never gave up, who endured a catastrophe, and emerged stronger than before.”

Those were the words of Governor Jay Nixon, speaking to the graduating class at Joplin High School on the fifth anniversary of the tornado that levelled the town. The EF5 twister was blamed for killing 161 people and causing close to $3 billion in damage.

The Governor said that while graduation speakers often talk about the value of what the graduates have learned in school, he would talk about the value of what those Joplin High School seniors had taught him, and how they had inspired the state, the nation and the world.

In addition to teamwork, perseverance and gratitude, the Governor said one of the lessons was resilience: “Resilience is the ability to endure tough times, to remain hopeful that a brighter future lies ahead, and to prepare for what that future should look like…Your resilience shows in the fact that you are sitting here today in those caps and gowns.”

At the conclusion of his remarks, Gov. Nixon said, “What matters most to me is the life you will build on the unshakeable foundation laid in your hometown. Because when you succeed, Missouri succeeds. I will never forget the lessons of Joplin, and I will always be profoundly grateful to you.”

After the commencement, Gov. Nixon also spoke at the Gathering of Remembrance and Hope ceremony held at Cunningham Park. The park was directly in the path of the tornado.

The Governor was one of several speakers at the community event, which also featured prayer and inspirational music, as well as a tolling of bells at 5:41 p.m., the moment when the tornado hit Joplin in 2011.

“The world has watched in awe, as the city has risen anew, brick by brick and board by board, better than before,” Gov. Nixon said. “It is the work of steady hands and steadfast hearts – never idle, ever hopeful – through seasons of grief and seasons of joy.”

The state’s response to the Joplin tornado began with the declaration of a state of emergency, the mobilization of the Missouri National Guard, and the sending to Joplin of hundreds of Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers to lead the largest law enforcement response in state history. The response included the clearing of more than 1.2 million tons of debris.

These photographs were taken by John P. Tretbar. Tretbar and Dan Michaels of Eagle Radio were among hundreds of people from across the country who were dispatched to Joplin to lend a hand.