Little did the American people know, 8:46 a.m. September 11th, 2001, would become another monumental event in history. American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. 17 minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., the South Tower was hit. American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., and Flight 93, aiming for the Capitol, was redirected by multiple heroic passengers aboard into a field 65 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, PA. Terror quickly spread across the nation, with 2,977 American lives lost.
In the 24 years since that horrific day, Americans have found ways to honor and commemorate those whose lives were taken. Locally in the Central Valley, the California 9/11 Memorial does just that. Located in Clovis, the memorial is a permanent tribute with multiple symbolic monuments scattered throughout the grounds: proportionate models of the Pentagon and towers, bronze statues, and a sapling cut from the “Survivor Tree” at Ground Zero.
While monuments that stand almost 3,000 miles from the place of attack may struggle to encapsulate the essence of 9/11, it is the testimony of those who experienced it that maintains the memory. During this year’s ceremony, Erik O. Ronningen, the last survivor to exit the South Tower, vocalizes the first-hand destruction he witnessed, which would forever be ingrained in his brain.
“Suddenly, that tower exploded; the sound was indescribable,” Ronningen said. “The tower was whipped and jerked south, coming back north, twisting south, and [finally] settling. People walking or standing were thrown to the floor. I thought I was going to be slingshot through the window, down over 700 feet to the plaza floor.”
The unexpected collision of the planes into the towers brought forth such an impactful moment that citizens nationwide can recall the exact time and place they were when they learned of the strikes.
Viewing the havoc the attacks generated brought Americans a wide range of emotions, from sorrow and anger to shock and awe. However, a sense of confusion was created as the day’s events slowly unfolded on newscasts and radio broadcasts, without the sense of immediate mass information that people are accustomed to today. Coming off a graveyard shift, Jorge Gomez, current Deputy Chief of Police for Clovis, will never forget the first time he saw the news.
“Everybody was on high alert. It was just a different reality. I can’t believe this happened on our soil,” Jorge Gomez said. “Being in law enforcement at the time, it just hit a little bit harder, because now if they could do that here, it left us feeling like we couldn’t be safe in our own place that we call home.”
With the day of 9/11 bringing so much disarray, 9/12 brought a great deal of unity. The United States of America was once again united as a people in support of the nation, and patriotism was restored amongst its citizens. David Acuna, a Cal Fire Sacramento Battalion Chief, believes the California 9/11 Memorial captures the day of 9/12 and the sense of unity with its One Voice competition.
“We were unified under one feeling at the time, of sadness and despair, but also of grit and determination that we will persevere,” Acuna said. “By looking at September 12th, that’s what camaraderie is and should continue to be. There are moments that we struggle with that, and that’s the challenge for the fire service and for our community as a whole.”
The California 9/11 Memorial has been hailed as the largest of its kind in the nation outside of Ground Zero. But with 2001 being over two decades in the past, new generations must learn about what happened from the experiences of others. Working for the Fresno Police Department at the time, Kurt Fleming, now the current Clovis Police Chief, wants the youth to understand the importance of 9/11.
“It’s unique nowadays that a lot of people growing up were not born then and have not experienced what took place that day and how the nation shifted,” Fleming said. “The memorial is a good reminder to reflect on what was 24 years ago today. Educating our youth on what happened back then, honoring the fallen, and never forgetting.”
Fresno Christian recognizes the importance of students contributing to the commemorative ceremony, as they have sent student representatives for over a decade. Notably, for the second year in a row, FC choir students were given the honor of opening the ceremony with patriotic melodies. Students on The Feather took part in capturing the course of the morning proceedings. APUSH students were invited to attend the service to gather the historical importance of 9/11.
Ronningen suggests that 9/11 will simply become a part of the history books, and it is what people can learn from it that is of the utmost importance. Learning from past problems helps people to conduct themselves better when similar troubles arise.
“It is important to keep the memory alive, but in 150 years, no one will remember this,” Ronningen said. “It’ll be a footnote in the history book, but that is okay. We all have our own experiences in the lives that we live, and if we can learn from them, it’s all to our benefit.”
Utilizing his first-hand experience from the attacks, Ronningen exhibits how humans should ultimately behave during times of hardship. Hardship is inevitable; one way or another, it will happen.
“Live each day as if it were your last. If you knew you were going to die at midnight tonight, how would you behave today?” Ronningen said. “You wouldn’t be selfish, you wouldn’t be irritable, you wouldn’t be jealous. You’d be kind, and uplifting, and polite, courteous, and patient. If we do that every single day, we eliminate difficulty with our friends, our family and our classmates. We make life so much simpler for ourselves if we can control our emotions.”
Thank you to all the first responders who bravely serve each day. May we #NeverForget.
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The California 9/11 Memorial can be visited any time of the year at: 3485 Never Forget Lane, Clovis, CA 93612
