Video by Stefan Modrich | Assistant Sports Editor
Thirteen years to the day, and 2,408 miles from Ground Zero, the events of 9/11 still have an immediate impact on police and firefighter personnel.
The union of American citizens was evident in the display of patriotism the morning after Sept. 11, with flags hung on front porches and along streets in various neighborhoods across the country.
There was an equally patriotic turnout for the 9/11 memorial held at Phoenix City Hall Thursday morning.
Police and firefighters, both of Phoenix and New York alike, were dressed in full decorative uniform for the formal ceremony in remembrance of the 2,996 lives lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Flight 93, which crashed in a field in southwest Pennsylvania when the passengers revolted against the Al-Qaeda hijackers.
Flags around the city, including outside Phoenix City Hall and at the State Capitol were lowered to half-staff at the order of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer in recognition of the tragedy.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton addressed a packed crowd inside the city hall atrium to commence the ceremony.
“Today we honor all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001,” Stanton said. “We especially honor those who ran to our rescue. We honor our nation, united in grief, but always determined to go forward.”
Phoenix Police Chief Daniel Garcia praised the bravery of the New York Police Department and New York Fire Department in the face of the attacks, as well as the crews sent from Phoenix to help find survivors in the Ground Zero rubble.
“Looking back, that overwhelming tragedy can somewhat be tempered by the countless acts of bravery which were visible that day and the days that followed," Garcia said.
He said the day brought the country together.
"Sept. 11 rekindled the American spirit in all of us and made us appreciate, even more, the men and women who have answered that special calling to protect and serve, no matter what the cost, and the selfless and heroic acts performed by ordinary civilians for the good of strangers," he said.
While grief and mourning aid the healing process, for retired New York Police Department officers like Tom Feely, complete closure for the horrors of that fateful day may never come.
“It brings back tears,” Feely said. “It’s still tough to talk about and still feels surreal.”
This particular anniversary brings with it an element of fear, stemming from the attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, to the recent rise of ISIS and the killings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
“We don’t live in a nice world sometimes,” Feely said. “There are evil people out there that intend to do harm to us and to other countries. When you’re dealing with radicals, they’re not reasonable. They have a mindset that you can’t even wrap your head around.”
Despite uncertainty in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, Phoenix firefighter and honor guard member Trevor Tyree said the community of emergency personnel is similar to that of the military, providing veterans an opportunity to find solace.
“We do take a lot of traditions from the military, and the bell ceremony is a fire department tradition,” Tyree said. “The sound of the bell starts and ends our day, and in the past, with smaller communities, the fire service was staffed with volunteers, so they would hear the bell ring and then find out where they would need to go.”
Tyree said the Honor Guard will also travel to recognize the Granite Mountain Hotshots who fought to contain the devastating Yarnell Fire.
“We use a lot of the music and things like that to help ease people’s pain,” Tyree said. “We are a tight-knit community, and we do consider ourselves a family.”
Reach the assistant sports editor at smodrich@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter at @StefanJModrich
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