Politics & Government
City Honors 9/11 Heroes
A memorial service on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks paid tribute to those who lost their lives and those who risked their lives for others on that day.
About 100 people attended South San Francisco's at the City Hall fountain at 9 a.m. on Sunday to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks and honor the police officers, firefighters and other victims who lost their lives that day.
"They deserve gratitude from the communities they served to protect," Mayor Kevin Mullin said about the 343 New York City firefighters who lost their lives at Ground Zero.
A presentation of colors was followed by a moment of silence and speeches lead by Mullin, Father Agnel Jose De Heredia from , Fire Chief Philip White, Police Chief Michael Massoni and their families.
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Girl Scout Troop 719 Ainsley Rosenthal recited the Pledge of Allegiance as attendees faced an American flag hoisted between two fire engines as the memorial began.
A flag flew at half staff near City Hall to honor service members across the country.
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Four of South San Francisco's own were called to duty on 9/11 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and were given a day's notice and three hours to pack and head to New York to assist in the rescue and search efforts.
Fire Chief White, Battalion Chief Chris Campagna, Battalion Chief Jess Magallenes and Engineer Eric Haslam spent 18 days at Ground Zero and were in attendance at the memorial.
"I am honored to be a part of the rescue and recovery effort," White said. "It was sad and empowering."
For Magallenes, the September 11 attacks hit close to home. Magallenes lost a friend from college who was on United Airlines Flight 93 scheduled to land in SFO. The plane was hijacked and subsequently crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
"It was surreal," Magallenes said about his deployment to assist in the September 11 attacks and the loss of his friend, but he said he would do it again in a heartbeat.
The memorial ceremony closed with a bagpipe performance of Amazing Grace and the ringing of the fire bell from three members of the Engine Company 61.
The service commemorated the 60 New York police and Port Authority officers, 343 New York firefighters, eight paramedics and 2,566 civilians who died when four passenger planes were hijacked by terrorists and crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
