SNOHOMSIH COUNTY—On the morning of the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the U.S., several Snohomish County cities gathered to pay their respects and vows of silence, honoring the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost that day in 2001.
The Marysville Fire District, Marysville Professional Firefighters/IAFF Local 3219, the Marysville Police Department and the City of Marysville held a public ceremony in the Delta Plaza outside the Marysville Civic Center, 501 Delta Ave.
The service honored the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, including the 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers and Marysville Fire’s own Lieutenant Jeff Thornton, who died after a valiantly fought battle with cancer that same day.
The ceremony included remarks from Mayor Jon Nehring and a presentation by Marysville Fire District’s prestigious Honor Guard.
Arlington had a ceremony of their own hosted by the North County Regional Fire Authority and the City of Arlington at Station 46 in Downtown Arlington featuring a moment of silence and a few remarks from local officials.
In South County, firefighters from South County Fire held a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Park by the Downtown Edmonds Fire Station 17 where they showcased a one-ton beam recovered from the collapsed World Trade Center in New York adorned with an American flag.
The beam was supported by a powerful display of two stainless steel towers above a pentagonal foundation. Flanking the beam were two walls of glass tiles honoring each of the nearly 3,000 people killed, including 343 firefighters, 60 police and 10 emergency medical services workers.
The ceremony, presented by South County Union Firefighters IAFF Local 1828, featured the South County Fire Honor Guard and bugler Debbie Dawson, a retired Edmonds Police Department officer.
On September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda took over four planes leading to the most prolific terrorist attack in the United States.
Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, and a third into the Pentagon. The fourth plane, United flight 93, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The courageous actions of 40 passengers and crew members on board, overpowered the hijackers, thwarting an attack on the Nation’s Capital.
A total of 2,996 total deaths, including the 19 hijackers, were recorded on that day. This figure includes 2,763 at the World Trade Center, 189 at the Pentagon, and 44 at Shanksville, Pennsylvania. As of 2023, the remains of 1,104 individuals killed that day in NYC have still yet to be identified, according to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
An estimated cost of the World Trade Center damage is $60 billion and the cost to clean the debris at Ground Zero was $750 million.
On December 18, 2001, Congress approved naming September 11 “Patriot Day” to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In 2009, Congress named September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
