The city of Lansing marked the 18th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks Wednesday with a solemn ceremony to remember the victims.
A Lansing police and fire honor guard marched up Michigan Avenue to Wentworth Park, where a twisted fragment of the World Trade Center stands as a monument.
Nineteen Michiganders lost their lives in the terror attacks in New York City and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Their names were read aloud.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor watched the attacks unfold on TV. His father was working in midtown Manhattan that day. Schor said though he was just blocks away, his father didn’t know at first what had happened.
“They were leaving their building in the streets of New York looking south, seeing the smoke and hearing from Lansing, Michigan what was going on. And for me, to be one of the few to get through and to know he was safe…that meant everything.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer implored all Michiganders to perform an act of service to remember those lost in the tragedy, and to ensure future generations never forget its meaning.