Honor guard prepares the flag.
By Jim Tortolano/Garden Grove Journal
With bagpipes wailing, flags soaring and heads uncovered, citizens and officials in the City of Westminster on Tuesday made a solemn observance of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The event was held beginning at 11 a.m. in the Sid Goldstein Freedom Park in the Civic Center area.
After an invocation by police chaplain Robert Benoun, police chief Kevin Baker took over as master of ceremonies. Benoun told the audience “This event did not cripple us; it did not even put a dent in us because we remember the sacrifice that they made.”
Baker said “On that day, America was attacked with a barbarity we hardly could have imagined. But we also witnessed something else. Americans, ordinary Americans coming together to help each other.”
This was followed by a presentation of colors and flag ceremony by the Westminster Police Honor Guard, which raised the Stars and Stripes to half-staff in remembrance of the 3,000 people who died in the 9-11 attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C. and on board Flight 93, which crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside.
After the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilman Tyler Diep, an a capella version of “The Star Spangled Banner” was rendered by Shaun Miller.
“We remember the courage and heroism displayed by so many made us proud to be Americans,” said Diep.
About 200 people attended the event, one of many throughout Orange County.
