Alexandria Remembers Sept. 11 in Moving Ceremony

The City of Alexandria's Council Chamber was packed on Friday afternoon with a touching tribute to Alexandrians and others who served during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon, New York, Pennsylvania and beyond.

"Ten years later we still remember how the clear blue sky of that day was blotted out by some of the darkest days," Mayor Bill Euille told the audience full of citizens, soldiers, first responders and others.

Sheriff Dana Lawhorne spoke to the audience of the bravery, courage and dedicated to duty of the men and women who responded to the tragedy.

Sheriff's Office Captain Clarke Stearns attended the ceremony with his wife, Lana Stearns, to "support the Fire Department, Police Department and Sheriff's Office's commitment to public safety."

Police Chief Earl Cook said the events a decade ago showed "as Americans we have demonstrated a resilience that perhaps we didn't even know we had. ... Today we send our prayers to the fallen."

Cook said he went to a briefing in Washington on Friday morning regarding public safety and terrorist threats and said on the local, state and federal level "We are... prepared."

Fire Chief Adam Thiel opened his speech by acknowledging a recent poll showing that many Americans don't think about the events of Sept. 11, 2001 ever or often.

"We think of it every day," he said, adding later, "The passage of time is different for different people. For many of us it seems like it could happen again tomorrow."

He also noted that for first responders the date 9/11 has a significance. The phone number 9-1-1 is the emergency number to call in the United States.

"We'll answer 9-1-1 on 9/11, 9/12 or 9/13" or any other time, any day of the year," he said.