San Diego paid tribute Wednesday to the first responders who rushed to help those under attack on September 11, 2001.
The ceremony was held at the City Concourse in advance Sunday, the day citizens of the U.S. will remember the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as the crash of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania nearly 15 years ago.
The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people from 93 nations. In New York, 2,753 people were killed, 184 people were killed at the Pentagon and 40 people were killed on Flight 93.
Many of those killed were law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics who rushed to the scene to help the victims.
“We need first responders to stand that line between good and evil and between chaos and calm every single day, and every single night,” said Chief of Police Shelley Zimmerman.
She was pleased to see so many school children attending the ceremony designed to “never forget” those whose lives were lost responding to the attacks.
One of those who survived the attack at the World Trade Center is retired NYFD Lieutenant Joe Torrillo.
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Torrillo brought the "Patriot Flag", a 30 x 60-foot flag that has traveled to all 50 states in the last 15 years.
He shared his story and the stories of others who lost their lives that day.
He made a point to remind the crowd of the acts of courage performed by the passengers and crew of Flight 93.
“They really were the first warriors in this fight of terrorism. So let us never, ever forget that,” Torrillo said.
Torrillo said he plans to spend the rest of his life traveling the country and meeting people to remind them of the great nation in which we live.
“That’s my way of saying I’m so grateful to have been born on this parcel of liberty and to be able to call myself an American,” Torrillo said.
He presented a plaque to Mayor Kevin Faulconer commemorating the Twin Towers on 9/11.
Memorials will take place Sunday to remember the following moments (all times Eastern)
- 8:46 a.m.: Hijackers crash Flight 11 into the north tower.
- 9:03 a.m.: Hijackers crash United Airlines Flight 175 into the south tower.
- 9:37 a.m.: Hijackers crash American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon.
- 9:59 a.m.: The south tower collapses.
- 10:03 a.m.: Passengers launch a counterattack on hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93. The hijackers crash the plane into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
- 10:28 a.m.: The north tower collapses.
The ceremony was also attended by San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Brian Fennessey and Director of the Office of Homeland Security John Valencia and members of the public.
