SALINAS VALLEY — The communities of Soledad and Greenfield hosted ceremonies last Friday to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and honor first responders that give so much to serve others.
At Soledad’s Bill Ramus Park, the City of Soledad presented a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at 8 a.m. to honor the 2,997 innocent lives lost, the countless heroes who answered the call, and the families whose lives were forever changed. Their courage, sacrifice and resilience continue to inspire the nation.
Soledad Mayor Anna Velazquez gave thanks to local first responders, including the Soledad police and fire departments, for protecting the community.
“Thank you for protecting our families, responding in an emergency, and stepping forward when others are afraid,” Velazquez said. “Your service is a reflection of the courage we honor today. And to the families of the first responders, thank you as well. Your loved ones and the commitment to our community comes with a sacrifice. Today, we ask for protection to those that are first responders and their loved ones. May they always return to the people that love you.”
Soledad City Manager Megan Hunter spoke about the tragedies on 9/11 and how the country united to help one another.
“Sept. 11 showed us the terrible consequences of hatred and violence,” Hunter said. “But it also showed extraordinary capacity for people to care for one another in our darkest moments. May we honor those lost by remembering the tragedy of that day, but also the courage, compassion and unity that followed. May we never forget.”
Cal Fire Assistant Chief Jason Luckenbach spoke about what 9/11 means to firefighters everywhere.
“For those of us in the fire service, Sept. 11 carries a profound meaning, when the towers were struck, firefighters did not run away, but ran towards the danger and burning buildings where thousands of people were trying to escape,” Luckenbach said. “343 members of the City of New York made the ultimate sacrifice that day. They were chiefs, company officers and firefighters and civilian members of the fire department. They represented the very best of the first department.”
At the conclusion of the event, Fire Apparatus Engineer Joshua Dodd and Master Chief Max Schell read off the timeframe of the events of 9/11 in remembrance and rang a bell starting when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. to the moment when the North Tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m.
In total, 2,977 civilian lives were lost, along with 343 firefighters, 60 law enforcement officers and eight EMTs and paramedics.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Greenfield hosted a First Responders Special Appreciation Breakfast at Greenfield Memorial Hall. South Monterey County first responders and local residents were invited.
Greenfield Police Chief Guillermo Mixer spoke about the significance of Sept. 11 to all first responders.
“9/11 means that we can never forget that we need to be vigilant and we can’t be complacent about the safety of our people,” Mixer said. “It’s unfortunate that there are people that want to harm our nation and we have to be aware of that and be prepared for that. We have to thank God we have people that are ready to take that on and be ready in our communities.”
Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez expressed what he remembers most about what happened on 9/11.
“When 9/11 happened, a lot of the cameras were focused on two big buildings in New York, one thing I noticed was the backs of a lot of people,” Lopez said. “Those were first responders. Running towards the burning buildings, running towards the danger and looking to friends and neighbors to help in that situation. We need to focus on the good even in the moments of evil and ask ourselves how are we going to be the next helper that runs towards danger or that situation to help solve it, rather than just stand by the sidelines. Be involved, get engaged and never quit trying to make this country and our communities better and stronger.”
