PHOTOS: Cuyamaca College Honors 9/11 Victims with Flag Memorial

About 150 people gathered Tuesday afternoon in the "Grand Lawn" of Cuyamaca College to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which occurred 11 years ago.

Cuyamaca students, administrators, staff and faculty, along with representatives from the and Senator Joel Anderson and his staff, listened to several speakers in a fitting tribute that included 2,977 American flags – one for every victim – which were placed in the lawn.

“The unprovoked and vicious terrorist attacks 11 years ago will never be forgotten,” said Senator Joel Anderson.  “Today we honor the 2,977 persons who lost their lives, we sympathize with their families and we thank the many heroes who continue to safeguard our country and communities.  I want to commend the leadership shown by the Cuyamaca students as well as the whole campus community in organizing today’s event.”

In addition, Ariel Satele, president of the Cuyamaca Associated Student Body, read from a speech she wrote remembering the tragedy (see attached document).

"Each flag represents a family’s loved one, a mother, a father, a child to someone. Each flag on this grand lawn today represents a date which we will never forget," said Satele.

The second-year student and Steele Canyon alum continued: "It is on this day that we choose to resonate the words, 'We will never forget.' We echo this phrase because this day is not just another page in our history books or a passing headline on our newspapers," she said. "This was a day that kept each member of this community despite creed, religion, race, or any differences, bounded together. It showed us just how human we are. And it also exemplified just how extraordinary we can be. This tragedy though it did shake this country, it did not break this country. We are a living result of that."

After all of the speakers, those in attendance were asked to take a small yellow ribbon and tie it on one of the flags, as a tribute to someone who was lost that fateful day.