Vandenberg marks 25 years since 9/11 with ceremony honoring first responders
Space Launch Delta 30 held a remembrance ceremony Friday with prayers, flag folding, and a last-alarm tribute to those who died in the 2001 attacks.
Vandenberg Space Force Base marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks Friday with a ceremony honoring first responders and reflecting on the unity that followed the tragedy.
Staff Sgt. Ryan Davis of the 30th Security Forces Squadron served as master of ceremonies. The event included presentation of colors by the Vandenberg Color Guard, the national anthem, and prayers focused on firefighters, security forces, and combat medics.
Commander recalls unity after attacks
Col. James T. Horne III, commander of Space Launch Delta 30, shared his memories of being a student pilot in Mississippi when the attacks unfolded. He recalled watching the second plane strike the World Trade Center and the immediate grounding of all aircraft. Horne said the aftermath produced a sense of unity across the country. "For a brief, shining stretch of time, America set every petty difference aside," he said, recalling strangers helping one another and first responders traveling toward danger without being asked.
The ceremony featured the ceremonial folding of the American flag, with its 13 folds described as symbols honoring the victims, emergency responders, and armed forces members. It concluded with a last-alarm ceremony led by Airman Johnny Garcia-Molina of the 30th Civil Engineer Squadron, in which a ceremonial bell was struck three times to symbolize fallen responders' final return home.
Horne urged those gathered to ensure younger generations understand both the destruction of Sept. 11 and the courage and service that followed. "The best way we can honor the fallen is to serve," he said. For more local news, visit /news.
Facts via Lompoc Record. Emblem: Space Launch Delta 30, U.S. Space Force.
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