Solemn ceremonies will be held across the Southland Sunday to remember the nearly 3,000 people who died during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Burbank Police and fire officials will hold an early morning ceremony on the steps of police headquarters, while Manhattan Beach officials will gather at the city’s 9/11 memorial at 15th Street and Valley Drive.
In Long Beach, fire Chief Michael DuRee and Police Chief Robert Luna will place a memorial wreath in front of a fire station and observe a moment of silence at 9:11 a.m.
The Los Angeles Fire Department will hold its annual observance at the Sherman Oaks station, which is home to many search-and-rescue team members who responded to New York to help search for victims in the rubble of the World Trade Center.
A ceremony will be held from 6:45 a.m. to 8 a.m. at Fire Station 27 in Hollywood that will include LAFD Director of Operations Frank Borden and will feature a special ribbon on one of The Hero In You Foundation’s 26 R. Hero sculptures nationwide.
Carson and Beverly Hills are also among the cities that will hold tributes.
The day is officially dubbed Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance in honor of the civilians and first responders who were killed in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
“Fifteen years ago, nearly 3,000 innocent lives — men, women and children who had been going about their normal routines — were taken from us, depriving families and loved ones of a lifetime of precious moments,” President Barack Obama said in a proclamation noting the 15th anniversary of the attacks. “But the acts of terror of Sept. 11, 2001, sought to do more than hurt our people and bring down buildings. They sought to break our spirit and destroy enduring values that unite us as Americans.
“In the years that followed, our capacity to love and to hope has guided us forward as we worked to rebuild, more sound and resilient than ever before,” he said. “With the hearts of those we lost held faithfully in our memories, we reaffirm the unwavering optimism and everlasting strength that brought us together in our darkest hour, and we resolve to give of ourselves in service to others in that same spirit.”
Los Angeles city leaders, along with police and fire officials, held a ceremony Friday at the LAFD’s Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center, which includes a large piece of the World Trade Center.
“We see it every single day in our fire services, in our military and Coast Guard,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “We understand that when people put on a uniform and wear a badge, it’s just theirs for a temporary moment in time. They become the guardian angels for each one of us, not knowing what may happen.
“And every one of them steps forward voluntarily,” he said.
In Orange County, the 15th anniversary of the attacks will be marked on Sunday by:
–The 9/11 Patriot Ride, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts paying tribute to the firefighters killed in the attacks. The ride starts at the Huntington Beach Harley Davidson store at 10 a.m. at 15080 Goldenwest Circle in Westminster.
–Orange County Fire Authority firefighters will hold its annual “Day of Remembrance” ceremony at its headquarters at 1 Fire Authority Road in Irvine as well as all of the other stations throughout the county.
–The Pretend City Museum, 29 Hubble, in Irvine, will hold a Day of Remembrance as well geared toward children.
–The Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda will hold its annual ceremony at noon with remarks from Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Daniel O’Donohue, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and Orange County Fire Authority Chief Jeff Bowman.
–Anaheim firefighters will hold a tribute at City National Grove of Anaheim with local authorities making remarks and representatives from various nonprofits available to help residents who would like to volunteer on the National Day of Service and Remembrance.
–Chiara D’Odorico will perform a recital on piano of the debut of “In Memoriam,” a composition by Irvine Valley College professor Daniel Luzko, who pays tribute to the 9/11 victims. The performance will be at the Irvine Valley College Performing Arts Center in Irvine.
—City News Service