Police officers, firefighters and other victims of the Sept. 11 attacks remembered at Philadelphia ceremony

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Members of Philadelphia’s police and fire departments gathered outside the Betsy Ross House in Old City to honor the victims killed in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Today marks the 24th anniversary of those attacks.

Bagpipers marched on Arch Street as part of the solemn ceremony of remembrance.

“We think of the men and women inside of the towers and at the Pentagon who refused to leave until their co-workers were safe. We think about the passengers on Flight 93 who sacrificed everything to prevent further tragedy,” said Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. “They remind us that heroism comes in many forms, uniformed or not.”

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Michael York was a young officer finishing his initial commitment when the tragedy occurred. “On 9/11, that reinstilled the drive to serve the Navy for a future that is nearing 30 years,” he said.

Plenty of American flags were visible at the Betsy Ross House as Mayor Cherelle Parker talked about how many still mourn those killed 24 years ago.

“There were 2,977 victims, nearly 3,000 lives lost on that September the 11th. And to this day, millions of us still grieve their deaths,” she said. “We all unfortunately have felt the ups and the downs and sudden waves of emotion that hit us out of nowhere.”

Philadelphia’s Corrections Commissioner Michael Resnick remembered the New York prison guards who were pressed into emergency service that day.

“More than a thousand members of the New York City Department of Corrections went to ground zero and contributed in ways that didn’t make headlines. They searched through the debris of the World Trade Center. They ferried survivors off of Manhattan to safety. They set up emergency communications and evacuated nearby schools. They established a temporary morgue to respectfully process remains,” he recalled. “Their work was quiet but indispensable, an extension of the correctional professionals commitment to service and public safety.”

The Philadelphia Police and Fire Pipes and Drums band played “Amazing Grace” and the songs of all the service academies as part of the ceremony. A lone trumpeter played “Taps” as city officials rang a fire bell to remember those who perished.