LA County communities pause to pray, mourn and mark the 24th anniversary of 9/11 terror attacks

Communities across Los Angeles County paused to pray for peace, memorialize the dead and thank first responders on the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Thursday. Myriad services featured  words of tribute, the mournful wails of bagpipers, a helicopter flyover and the ringing of “10-Bells.”

Related: Americans mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with emotional ceremonies

Countless events memorialized the 2,977 victims who died when planes crashed into the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., as well as the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, who stopped their hijackers from hitting their intended target, with the plane instead crashing in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

All L.A. County departments flew the U.S., state and county flags at half-staff to honor the lives lost in the deadly  attacks. On Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to proclaim Sept. 11, 2025, as “Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance.”

The L.A. Fire Department’s annual memorial at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center brought together LAFD Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva, Mayor Karen Bass and an array of other local officials. The solemn event included speeches, bagpipers and a helicopter flyover.

“Since 2002, this ceremony allowed for all of us to gather and honor the memory of those lost and also salute the bravery of those who responded in the face of tragedy,” Bass said.

“On this day, 24 years ago, the unimaginable occurred. Each of us recalls where we were the day the news broke here in Los Angeles, we felt a unique shock and grief that day,” she added.

“Members of the LAFD Urban Search and Rescue Task Force headed to Ground Zero with one mission in mind: To serve,” Bass said.

She reiterated that 9/11 is a day to honor the lives lost, and also those who protect our cities and our country.

Villanueva echoed the mayor’s sentiments, adding that “We promised then and we promised now that we will never forget that morning between the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the heroic passengers of flight 93.

“Nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost. Families were shattered. Communities were broken and the nation was shaken,” Villanueva said. “Yet in that darkness, we also saw the extraordinary courage.”

“From 24 years ago to today, the words and thoughts of those who were there continue to resonate with us,” he added.

McDonnell uplifted the courage of first responders who rushed into danger and saved lives on that day. He added that their courage “remains a guide for all of us in public service.”

Villanueva and McDonnell rang “10-Bells,” a solemn tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the first responders on that day.

The LAFD ceremony took place around its memorial display of a 23-ton and approximately 22-foot tall steel column that was originally part of the lobby structure at the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Afterward, the 9/11 Day nonprofit organization launched into its “Remember the Good by Doing Good” action as part of National Day of Service and Remembrance.

The organization brought together more than 1,300 volunteers to pack 400,000 meals that were donated to the city’s Regional Food Bank to be distributed to individuals and families in need.

The co-founders of 9/11 Day, David Paine and Jay Winuk, wanted to create something good out of the Sept. 11 tragedy and to honor those killed.  Winuk’s brother Glenn, an attorney and also a volunteer firefighter, was killed while responding to the World Trade Center.

Pepperdine University’s ceremony at Alumni Park in Malibu included remarks by the university’s Chancellor Sar Young Jackson and with readings and reflections.

The keynote speaker was actor Dennis Quaid, narrator of the documentary film “Twin Towers: Legacy,” who has supported the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which helps families of first responders.

Singer Pat Boone also performed.

Six hundred attendees were seated up the hill at Alumni Park where the annual Waves of Flags display is located, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The Waves of Flags is up through Sept. 26, until volunteers lower the flags beginning at 10 a.m.

The private Christian university is home to a permanent 9/11 remembrance, the Thomas E. Burnett Jr. Heroes Garden.

Burnett (MBA ’95), a Graziadio Business School alumnus, was among those aboard the fourth hijacked jetliner, United Airlines Flight 93. Burnett and other passengers led a revolt against the hijackers.

Meanwhile, on the coast, an American flag hung from the side of Long Beach’s Fire Station 1. Police officers and firefighters stood at attention as the city observed a moment of silence.

“Each year on this day, we pause to remember,” Mayor Rex Richardson said during the ceremony. “We honor the lives taken far too soon. We stand with the families who continue to carry on the weight of the loss. We offer our deepest gratitude to the first responders, members of our Armed Forces and everyday heroes who showed extraordinary courage.”

City leaders and first responders — the bulk of the 40 or so attendees were Long Beach employees — honored and remembered those who died with a Last Alarm tribute at 9:11 a.m., followed by a ceremonial wreath placement by LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish and LBFD Chief Dennis Buchanan.

“We will never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others on 9/11,” Hebeish said in a statement before the event. “It’s important that we take a moment to pause and reflect on their bravery and heroism.”

“Today, we stand in solemn remembrance of the lives lost on Sept. 11 and the extraordinary courage of the first responders who served our nation on that day,” Buchanan said in a statement. “The Long Beach Fire Department is honored to join our community in paying tribute to their sacrifice and reaffirming our commitment to protect and serve with the same spirit of duty.”

After remarks from the mayor, a citywide moment of silence took place — residents could watch the ceremony via a livestream — bringing a hush to a usually bustling downtown. The silence was then followed by a bagpipe performance of “Amazing Grace.”

“This day reminds us of our nation’s strengths, resilience and utility,” Richardson said, “and at a time (when) our nation feels the strains and divisions, let us not forget the spirit of unity that carried us through those difficult days. That spirit reminds us that even in moments of great tension, we are stronger when we come together as one people.

“By standing together, we carry forth the same perseverance and hope that helped heal us in the days and years that followed,” Richardson added. “As a community, it’s our solemn duty to reflect, to remember and to reaffirm our commitment to defending democracy and keeping our nation safe.”

Down the coast in Manhattan Beach, the city’s fire and police departments held a joint memorial service.

First responders lowered the flags to half-staff, placed a wreath and a spray of flowers, and led a moment of silence.

The city’s 9/11 Memorial site, at the Fire Department, features two steel beams from the World Trade Center that the city dedicated in 2007.

Hermosa Beach hosted its annual 9/11 Remembrance Wreath Laying Ceremony, featuring remarks by Mayor Rob Saemann and other guests, an Honor Guard’s Posting of the Colors, ceremonial music and a moment of silence at the Hermosa Beach 9/11 Memorial, at the intersection of Greenbelt and Pier Avenue.

In the Antelope Valley, County Supervisor and Board Chair Kathryn Barger joined residents and first responders for a remembrance event she co-hosted with the Antelope Valley 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony Governance Board. The event also took place at 9 a.m. at the Antelope Valley Mall main entrance, 1233 W. Rancho Vista Blvd. in Palmdale.

“The tragedy of September 11th will remain forever engraved in our hearts and minds,” Barger said in a statement. “That terrible day is a solemn reminder of the fragility of life, the courage of first responders and the resilience of our country. As we mark 9/11’s 24th anniversary, I urge everyone in Los Angeles County to reflect on the lives lost and honor their memory by engaging in acts of service that strengthen our communities.”

In Pasadena, an early morning remembrance event was hosted outside Fire Station 34.

A roll call of names of those killed on 9/11 was presented, as city police and fire personnel took part.

In Alhambra, the Fire Department hosted its annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at Fire Station 71, to pay tribute.

“This day continues to hold deep meaning for all of us,” said Alhambra Mayor Katherine Lee in a statement. “We remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the bravery of those who answered the call. Their legacy lives on in the way we support and protect one another.”

The Alhambra ceremony featured posting of colors by the Alhambra Police Department Honor Guard, and invocation, and tolling of the bell.

Staff at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, with help from local first responders, placed 2,977 flags to create a “Field of Healing” at the entrance to the park.

Representatives from the county Sheriff’s Department, staff from the office of Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera, community members and Rose Hills associates helped assemble the display.

“Each flag we place represents a life lost and a story that must never be forgotten,” said Antoinette Banares, Rose Hills director of business development. “We are honored to stand with our community and local first responders to create this Field of Healing—a space for reflection, remembrance, and unity. Our collective presence speaks volumes about our shared commitment to honoring the legacy of those we lost on Sept. 11.”

A Flag of Honor with the names of those killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the four hijacked airplanes will also be on display. The display will be open from sunrise to sunset through Sept. 18, at Gate One of Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.

The San Gabriel Fire Department hosted its annual 9/11 Remembrance and Tribute Ceremony, featuring a display of mini flags on the station’s front lawn, each bearing the name of a fallen responder, and a march and tribute by the Verdugo Fire Communications Center Dispatch, at Fire Station 51.

Also:

— L.A. Works, the city’s largest volunteer action center, hosted a volunteer event supporting veterans at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, 11301 Wilshire Blvd.

— American Legion Post 283 planned a reception marking the end of the Shepherd’s Men 9/11 Tribute Ruck March, a 22-mile journey through Los Angeles carrying symbolic waste “in a profound gesture of remembrance.”

— Late in the day, Jewish congregants at Sinai Temple planned to hear from a group of Muslim leaders from Egypt, Morocco and Bahrain discussing their “shared commitment to peace as war continues to rage on in Gaza nearly two years after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel.”