The City of Asheville held its 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony outside of the Municipal Building this morning.
Interim Fire Chief Chris Budzinski, Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper and Interim City Manager Cathy Ball made remarks honoring the first responders who lost their lives in the World Trade Center Twin Towers. All of the people who were killed that day were remembered, including those who died of illness from exposure to chemicals following the horrific attacks.
The ceremony included an invocation, presentation of the colors and the posting of the flag to half staff. City employee Ric Ledford sang the Star Spangled Banner. There was a solemn ringing of a bell at 8:46 a.m., the time that the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center.
Why we remember
On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The Twin Towers of New York City’s World Trade Center collapsed in the aftermath of the airplane attacks.
Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Another 6,000 others were injured. Additional people died of 9/11-related cancer and respiratory diseases in the months and years following the attacks.
Source: history.com