LA County remembers 9/11 Monday

LOS ANGELES - As Monday marked 22 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Los Angeles County paid tribute to the victims at Los Angeles Fire Department's Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore rang "10-Bells" during the ceremony near Dodger Stadium, which will also include bagpipers and a helicopter flyover by the LAFD Air Operations Section.

The ceremony was held to "remember those who lost their lives, the families who lost their loved ones and those who sacrificed in order to restore communities and shape a path forward," Bass told City News Service.

In connection with the anniversary, volunteers from the volunteer action center L.A. Works will paint indoor rooms, assemble and refurbish tables and planter boxes and weed and plant at the training center, and create 1,000 disaster readiness kits.

Sept. 11 is a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance. Opportunities to volunteer can be found at americorps.gov/911-day.

SUGGESTED: Patriot Day: Watch Sept. 11 live coverage from across the country

Long Beach will hold a "Last Alarm" tribute at Fire Station 1 beginning at 9:11 a.m., followed by a ceremonial wreath placement, moment of silence, words of reflection by Mayor Rex Richardson, and an "Amazing Grace" bagpiper performance.

The ceremony was livestreamed on Long Beach's pages on Facebook, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, the Facebook and X pages for the Long Beach police and fire departments, and carried on Long Beach Television at LBTV3.com.

"Brief and solemn" ceremonies will be held at all five Santa Monica Fire Department stations beginning at 6:45 a.m.

An artifact from the Ground Zero site resides in Fire Station 1 at 1337 Seventh St., just outside the community room, and is open for viewing by the public during normal business hours.

An informal ceremony will be held at 6:45 a.m. at Beverly Hills Fire Department, with a 5:30 p.m. memorial ceremony that will be streamed at BeverlyHills.org/Live.

A memorial ceremony will be held at Hawthorne City Hall at 7:30 a.m.

The Alhambra fire and police departments will host a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at 9 a.m. at Fire Station 71 featuring a posting of colors by the Alhambra Police Department Honor Guard, invocation, tolling of the bell and bagpipe music.

A 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at the Antelope Valley Fallen Heroes Memorial at the Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale.

The terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, many of whom were aboard three flights bound for Los Angeles International Airport.

In his proclamation declaring Monday Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance, President Joe Biden said, "Today we remember all the heroes who were forged in the hours, days, and years that followed that terrible morning of September 11, 2001 — ordinary Americans who, amidst the terror, smoke, and flames, demonstrated extraordinary courage and selflessness.

"Together, their bravery helped prove to our nation and the world that what those terrorists most hoped to wound could never be broken: the character of our nation."

"...In honor of all the lives we lost 22 years ago — and in honor of all the heroes who have given their whole souls to the cause of this nation every moment since — may today not only be observed with solemn remembrance but also with renewal and resolve," Biden added.

"Together, may we continue to demonstrate that the rights and freedoms that those terrorists sought to destroy on September 11, 2001, remain unwavering — strengthened by generations of Americans who have dared all and risked all to defend, protect, and preserve our democracy. "