9/11 Patriot Day ceremony remembers front line responders who died 21 years ago

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – People gathered outside the State Capitol building Sunday morning to remember the first responders who died in the line of duty in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue held a Patriot Day ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on the 21st anniversary of the tragic event.

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner read a list of statistics on those who were victims that day.

343 is the number of firefighters who died on 9/11. 1,845 is the number of victims positively identified from ground zero. 2,996 is the total number of victims from all four crashes on 9/11.

These numbers brought tears to the eyes of many of the people who attended to reflect on that day.

After Wagner spoke, the audience listened to audio recordings from first responders who were working that day.

LFR Fire Captain Nancy Crist said hearing the sheriff’s speech was emotional for her.

“It was difficult to hear. It was kind of a lump-in-the-throat moment,” Crist said.

The ceremony also included a flag-raising, LFR Pipe and Drum Corps, and a 21-gun salute.

Two firetrucks held up a giant American flag for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Crist said LFR joined together with several other organizations to make this event possible, including LPD, Lincoln Parks & Recreation, and The Veterans Memorial Garden Advisory Council.

“All of the agencies come together as one team,” Crist said. “And that’s really what we do in life.”

Crist says this ceremony never gets easier as time passes, but she plans to continue the tradition for the years to come.

“I want people to know that we have not forgotten. That we understand the depth of the commitment and the loss,” Crist said. “We vowed that we would never forget.”