9/11 Remembrance Ceremony to be Held Sunday at Flight 93 Memorial

To the casual passerby, the may seem like a simple tribute. But for the City of Union City, the meticulously crafted local landmark is a reflection of the city’s spirit and pride.

“It shows what Union City is made of,” said Tony Acosta, deputy city manager and project coordinator on the Flight 93 Memorial. “We’re proud to be American and we like to get things done.”

At 1 p.m. Sunday, the city will hold a special public ceremony in observance of the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the heroes of Flight 93 at the memorial.

The hour-long event will feature a special honor guard comprised of local Eagle Scouts, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9601 Honor Guard of Castro Valley, the American Legion Guard of District 10 and the National U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Honor Guard. Jazleen Serrano, two-time winner of Union City Teen Idol, will sing the national anthem. City officials will give presentations, along with Alameda County District 2 Supervisor Nadia Lockyer, representatives from the offices of Senator Ellen Corbett, Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski’s and the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We’re very honored to have them join us,” Acosta said.

The ceremony will conclude with a flag procession, 21-gun salute and reading of the names of the victims of Flight 93.

Dyer Street between Ratekin Drive and Smith Street/Alvarado-Niles Road will be blocked off during the ceremony, according to city staff.

The memorial itself is dedicated to the passengers and crew members aboard the San Francisco-bound United Airlines Flight 93 that departed from Newark, N. J. on September 11, 2001. The flight was making its way to the Bay Area when it was hijacked by terrorists. The plane crashed near Shanksville, Penn. when passengers attempted to regain control.

However, no Union City residents were on board the plane.

“Why is it in Union City? Because we said, ‘Yes,’” Acosta said.

The idea for the memorial came from Hayward resident and ex-marine , who took the idea to Union City in 2002 after being turned down by Hayward.

Union City staff liked the idea, Acosta said.

“We’re a city that believes we can get things done as well as, or better than, others. We cut to the chase — the idea’s great, and we can actually do this,” Acosta recalled when it was presented in 2002.

They selected , a narrow park that didn’t receive much foot traffic, according to Acosta. They took Emerson’s rough draft design to landscape architect Robert Mowat and asked if he could help design the memorial for free.

“It’s a really evocative design in that it has an emotional impact,” Acosta said.

The memorial is made up of 40 red granite monuments with the names, ages and hometowns of the 33 passengers and seven crew members on the flight. Each of the stones feature a metal reflector plate.

“It gives you a chance to reflect, ‘What if I’d been on that plane?’” Acosta said.

The stones lead to the "Circle of Remembrance," which includes three 10-foot engraved stones that tell the story of Flight 93, and list the names of those who have contributed to the memorial. At the opposite end is the "Plaza of Hope," which includes a flagpole surrounded by tiles painted with inspirational images and words created by Union City youth.

Most of the material and services were made possible via donations from the local community, as well as those outside of Union City. Emerson secured many of the donations, while the city asked the Alameda County Buildings and Construction Trades Council for help with the construction, Acosta said.

“Getting those stones in the ground took a lot of engineering,” Acosta said. The stones are placed three feet deep into the group.

“The star of the memorial is the red granite,” Acosta said. “It’s not only beautiful, it’s the hardest and thought to be the most durable granite in the U.S.”

The stone monuments are made of some of the most rare granite in the country, according to Acosta. A donor sent them from a Wisconsin quarry to Georgia where stonemasons ground, carved, polished and engraved the stones.

“This really was a team effort,” Acosta said. “It was hundreds of people donating time, money and skills.”

Once the stones were complete, they were transported to Union City.

The memorial was completed and officially dedicated with a ceremony on Dec. 8, 2007.

Since its construction, the memorial has drawn a steady stream of visitors year-round, Acosta said. Each year, the city holds a special 9/11 ceremony, as well as a Memorial Day service.

“It’s small and compact but it’s quite something,” Acosta said.

The 9/11 Day of Remembrance begins at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Flight 93 Memorial at Sugar Mill Landing in Union City.