LA County communities remember 20th anniversary of 9/11 today with heartfelt tributes

The spot and unity of Americans was connected show connected Saturday arsenic cities crossed Los Angeles County commemorated the 20th day of the 9/11 panic attacks.

Related: Listing of today’s memorials successful L.A. County

The tributes began early, particularly astatine LAX wherever a infinitesimal of soundlessness was held astatine 5:46 a.m. Saturday to commemorate the clip that American Airlines Flight 11, which departed Boston Logan International Airport for LAX, deed the World Trade Center’s North Tower — not agelong earlier a abstracted level bound for LAX deed the World Trade Center’s South Tower astatine 6:03 a.m. Pacific time. The 3rd formation bound for LAX, American Airlines Flight 77, departed from Washington Dulles International Airport earlier hitting the Pentagon astatine 6:37 a.m. California time.

“While New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia bore the brunt of this horrific time 2 decades ago, Los Angeles was besides profoundly impacted by the nonaccomplishment of the passengers and unit connected the 3 planes that were primitively heading to LAX that morning,” said Justin Erbacci, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, the metropolis bureau that manages LAX.

A 2nd infinitesimal of soundlessness and a colour defender ceremonial were scheduled astatine LAX astatine 8:43 a.m. wrong the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Federal Inspection Station astatine Tom Bradley International Airport.

Torrance residents arose earlier the prima to people the 20th anniverdary of the Sept. 11 panic attacks, attending a ceremonial astatine City Hall arsenic 5:46 a.m. connected Saturday. Photo: Hunter Lee, SCNG

Two decades later. the scenes inactive evoke affectional responses, evident astatine memorials crossed the portion this weekend.

Torrance residents were truthful dedicated to showing their enactment that immoderate arose earlier the prima to grant the victims, survivors, families and archetypal responders of the attacks astatine 5:46 a.m. successful beforehand of City Hall.

“Among the passengers connected that formation was John Wenckus, a 46-year-old Torrance nonmigratory returning location from a sojourn with his family,” Torrance Mayor Pat Furey said. Wenckus was traveling from Boston backmost to Southern California with a friend, John Hofer of Long Beach, from his family’s yearly play tourney successful Cape Cod.

“I didn’t cognize John,” Furey added. “But similar truthful galore folks, helium came to the Golden State and Torrance to travel his dreams.”

“One tin lone wonderment what large things helium could person accomplished,” Furey said earlier leaders besides took a infinitesimal to bespeak connected the archetypal responders and the civilian volunteers who leaped into enactment — and yet gave their lives arsenic they attempted to wide rubble and hunt for survivors.

“I volition ne'er hide the soundlessness erstwhile the archetypal level struck the tower,” said Torrance Police Chief Jeremiah Hart. “Firefighters climbed up stairs they would ne'er descend, and yet they moved connected still.”

“Police officers moving done fume adjacent though they couldn’t spot and they moved connected still,” helium added. “Citizens moving implicit rubble, incapable to enactment and yet they moved connected still.”

Their sacrifice, Hart said, calls america to enactment today.

Local archetypal responders concluded the lawsuit by ringing a bell, typically meant to awesome the commencement of the greeting shift, but today, it was to grant their fallen brothers and sisters.

“It is customary for the past doorbell beryllium sounded for our brothers and sisters who person paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said Torrance Fire Chief Martin Serna. “For having selflessly fixed their lives for their chap man, their task completed, their work done.”

Band members of the occurrence and constabulary departments accompanied the doorbell ringing with a performance of “Amazing Grace.”

Only a fewer miles up the street, 200 flags waved successful Paramount wherever the City created a tract of tiny American banners nether the Hay Tree astatine Paramount Boulevard. and Civic Center Drive.

“This tract of flags honors the representation of those mislaid connected that atrocious time 2 decades agone and those mislaid since past successful the consequent War connected Terror,” Mayor Brenda Olmos said, mentioning her chap City Council members promote residents to halt by and instrumentality a emblem for themselves successful remembrance of the families and individuals who were straight affected by 9/11.

In Malibu, astir 3,000 flags waved connected the field of Pepperdine University successful an yearly tribute to those who died successful the attacks. Additional flags are successful spot honoring each state that mislaid a citizen.

Rosemead planned a memorial ceremonial with a emblem raising and wreath-laying adjacent to the city’s Sept. 11 Memorial. The famed artwork is simply a nationalist sculpture, “Reflect,” by creator Heath Satow, of 2 hands created with wingspread dove cutouts that clasp an I-beam from the World Trade Center

In downtown Los Angeles, thousands of volunteers planned to stitchery astatine the Convention Center to battalion an estimated 200,000 meals for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The lawsuit is successful designation of 9/11 being designated a National Day of Service. Organizers of the lawsuit said akin events are being held successful 10 cities, with much than 2.5 cardinal meals being packed for organisation to radical successful request nationwide.

In Pasadena, members of the metropolis occurrence and constabulary departments gathered astatine the Tournament of Roses’ Tournament House for a sunrise emblem ceremony.

The Los Angeles Fire Department opted to cancel its yearly in-person memorial ceremonies astatine occurrence stations owed to the COVID-19 pandemic, though it welcomed the nationalist to sojourn its 9/11 Memorial Fountain successful beforehand of Fire Station 88 astatine 5101 N. Sepulveda Blvd. successful Sherman Oaks astatine immoderate clip to wage respects. The LAFD volition clasp a virtual remembrance lawsuit astatine 7 p.m., accessible at https://lafdheroes.com.

Sun Valley Magnet School teacher Stephen Franklin’s enactment program’s 6th- done 12th-graders volition reason their nationalist show the multimedia acquisition they created, portion memorial and portion depository dedicated to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and their interaction connected American society.  Included are standard models of the World Trade Center towers, a mock-up of an airdrome terminal, and a 15-foot gangly American flag, wherever the students person hand-written the names of the astir 3,000 victims of the panic attacks.

The show volition beryllium unfastened 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The schoolhouse is located astatine 7330 Bakman Ave., Sun Valley.