9/11 memorial service at Beverly Hills Fire department:

Beverly Hills Fire Department held 9/11 memorial at The 9/11 Memorial Garden.

Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of one of this nation's most traumatic events: the terrorist attacks 9/11. Beverly Hills Fire Department (BHFD) hosted their annual commemoration ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial Garden located on 445 N. Rexford Drive.

On 8:41 a.m Eastern Standard Time (EST) Sept. 11, 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration alerted American Airlines operations center that Flight 11 was officially hijacked. At 8:46 a.m. EST, Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Shortly after, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the World Trade Center’s South Tower at 9:03 a.m. EST.

The attendees of the 20th year Commemoration of 9/11 at the Beverly Hills Fire Department in Beverly Hills, California, stand for the bell ringing, Saturday, September 11,2021. The annual ceremony honors those who lost their lives on September 11,2001. (Grace Wexler / The Corsair)

Two more flights were hijacked that day. American Airlines Flight 77 later crashed into the Pentagon while United Flight 93 missed the target for DC, and, instead, crashed near a field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

A total of 2,977 people were killed.

The Beverly Hills Fire Department (BHFD), police department, city council, citizens, and Mayor Robert Wunderlinch came together in support of the memorial event. The memorial center is focused around a 130-foot, 1,900-pound bent steel beam salvaged from the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Surrounding the 18-foot tall artifact are replicas of both towers, the pentagon, and the grassy field near Shanksville.

Stainless steel plaques embedded around the site also contained the names of all 2,977 people who lost their lives to this act of hatred. This includes 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and 8 emergency medical technicians.

The Beverly Hills official 9/11 Memorial Garden website said that the garden “Serves to honor all those who were lost, those devoted to keeping America safe, and honoring equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Tim Scranton, former Fire Chief of the BHFD says how the memorial represents the fact that “American strength [has] in fact prevailed” after such a detrimental event in our history.

Scranton also described the struggle and process it took in order to make the idea for the memorial a reality. After several months of contacting the right people, fighting court orders, and getting approvals from city managers and board authorities, the steel beam was chosen as the focal artifact.

The entirety of the project was volunteer-based, and raised $600,000 through private donors to assist with the monument’s construction. Architects, landscape artists, construction workers, and caring citizens came together as a community to plan and create this remembrance memorial.

The BHFD ceremony gave thanks to those on the founding committee and those who volunteered. A special thanks was given to the Beverly Hills Rotary President Mitch Dawson, the first to partner and financially support the cause. Because of Dawson, the funds were secured for the beam’s transportation from New York to Los Angeles.

The ceremony closed with the Ringing of the Bell, and the Lowering of the Flag to half-mast. This symbolized the first responders whose heroism cost them their lives.

This event takes place annually on September 11, in the center of Beverly Hills, between City Hall and Fire Department 1, and all are encouraged to attend.

For more information or to make a donation please visit www.beverlyhills911memorial.org.