The community of Salinas gathered at Salinas Fire Station One at 216 W. Alisal St. for the 25th anniversary remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City collapsed after being struck by two hijacked commercial airplanes.
The ceremony honored the nearly 3,000 lives lost and the first responders who risked their lives that day.
City leaders, firefighters, police officers, nurses, retirees and community members joined in prayer and reflection as speakers emphasized both the scale of the tragedy and the solemn obligation of remembrance.
“The legacy of 9/11 is to never forget,” said Mayor Dennis Donohue, also praising local first responders as “the living reminder we don’t forget.”
Salinas Police Chief Carlos Acosta highlighted the unity that followed the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
“That day forever changed our nation. In the face of unimaginable tragedy, Americans came together,” Acosta said, also adding that 25 years later, “we remember, we serve, and we will never forget.”
“And for a new generation, September 11 is now an event that's learned through history, photographs, videos, and the stories of those who actually lived it. That makes our responsibility to remember even that much more important,” Acosta added.
Reflecting on his own experience that morning, Fire Chief Samuel Klemek said, “I remember that early morning clearly. I was freshly off probation, our battalion called the station and said, ‘You might want to turn on the TV.’ Like many firefighters across the country, we stood in disbelief at the events that were unfolding…felt the shock, the fear, but we also felt that profound connection to our brothers and sisters in New York, climbing those stairs, pushing into danger, answering the call without hesitation.”
Peter Szalai, who attended the ceremony for the first time, also recalled learning about the attacks later in the afternoon while he was president of his local teachers’ union in Washington state.
“Ceremonies like these ties generations of today. It informs the current generation of what happened in the past,” Szalai says.
Szalai is currently a candidate running for Salinas mayor and hopes to attend the following year ceremonies to come.
The event concluded with a traditional bell ceremony and the reading of the names of the fallen first responders of Sept. 11, 2001, as new police and fire recruits joined veterans in pledging to carry forward a legacy of courage, sacrifice and service.