A memorial service to remember the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks will be held at Mills Parks Friday beginning at 8:30 a.m. The service is at the World Trade Center Steel I Beam located at the eastern edge of Mills Park in Carson City.
The beam was given to Carson City by the Port Authority of New York to mark that fateful day. The public is invited.
The program will begin with a Posting of the Color by the Carson City Fire Department Color Guard followed by opening remarks and a moment of silence.
The events that happened eastern time are as follows: At 8:46 a.m. Eastern time, hijackers crashed Flight 11 into the north tower. At 9:03 a.m.: hijackers crash United Airlines Flight 175 into the south tower.
At 9:37 a.m., Hijackers crash American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. At 9:59 a.m., The south tower collapses. At 10:03 a.m.: Passengers launch a counterattack on hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93. The hijackers crash the plane into an empty field near Shanksville, Pa. At 10:28 a.m.: The north tower collapses.
Following the recognition of the events, there will be a moment of silence, followed by Taps, performed by Trooper Christopher Johnson, Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol Division.
Invocation will read by US Navy Ret. Chaplain, Stanley E. Friend, followed by a keynote address by Carson City Mayor Robert Crowell, as wells remarks by Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong and Carson City Fire Chief Bob Schreihans. There will be a retirement of colors, followed by closing remarks by Pastor Connie Friend.
In 2009, Supervisor Shirk, then Jim Shirk, brought the idea of Carson City applying for approval to receive an artifact from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to the Board of Supervisors. The Board agreed and submitted an application on behalf of the City. Thereafter, in 2010 Carson City received approval to receive an artifact from the Port Authority, according to Mayor Crowell.
The I-Beam was chosen by the Port Authority. It weighs 1600 pounds, is 10 feet long and 27 inches high. It was up to the local jurisdiction to defray the cost of transportation and insurance to get it here. Shirk raised some $2000 in donations to defray those costs.
The I-Beam arrived in Carson City in 2010 and was held at Parks and Recreation until a memorial could be built, located and installed. Supervisor Shirk, along with the Carson City Parks Department, arranged for the creation of the Memorial by the Steel Workers Union in Reno in conjunction with Bonanza printing and others, said Crowell.
The Memorial was created and dedicated on 10th anniversary of September 11, namely September 11, 2011. The Memorial is located near the entrance of the Marv Texeira Pavilion. There are plans to enhance the memorial grounds around the Firefighters Memorial in the grass center area of the entrance to Mills Park. Once that is done, it is planned to move the Memorial to that area.