FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Ceremonies to honor those who died on 9/11 were held around western Washington Saturday.
South King County Fire and Rescue held an emotional tribute outside Station 64 in Federal Way where they have a permanent memorial to all those who died that day. It includes the names of firefighters, police officers, workers in the twin towers, and the passengers from the flights that collided with the twin towers and Pentagon.
The service started with the bagpipes and drums playing in honor of the fallen while photographs of the firefighters who died hung nearby, blowing in the breeze.
“Today we honor 343 brave souls along with nearly three thousand men and women and children who lost their lives on September 11, 2001,” organizers said at the start of the ceremony.
Medic One Paramedic JR Klein was in New York 20 years ago working in IT but also serving as a volunteer EMT at the time. He shared his memories with the group.
“Nine-eleven changed me,” he explained. “It was then I decided to make EMS a career.:
Klein switched careers and eventually worked as a paramedic in New York City. In 2011, he moved to western Washington. Klein said he has fond memories of how unified the country was after the attacks in the days after the towers fell.
“Nothing was so divisive then, we all came together and I was proud then and I'm proud now to put on the uniform and serve the people,” he explained.
The memorial is special for retired Driver Engineer Sven Schievink. He was one of the two firefighters that drove across the country to help bring the beam out from New York, even stopping in Pennsylvania to pick up a rock from the Pennsylvania crash site.
“I grew up in New York City. Twenty of my friends are on the wall so when it came time they needed somebody to go get I said I'm going,” he explained.
Schievnik said he's proud of how the memorial turned out.
“We're not forgetting, we're remembering all the sacrifices that were made that day."
The sacrifices of firefighters, police officers, passengers on a plane determined to fight back; all were honored in the ceremony. A pause was given before the bagpipes played Amazing Grace for everyone to hold that day in their hearts.
“Never forget the 2,996 people that were killed on September 11, 2001," Fire Chief Vic Pennington told the group.