South Lake Tahoe remembers those who sacrificed their lives on 9-11

With flags lining the American Legion in South Lake Tahoe, the community bowed their heads and remembered those that lost their lives on the dark day, September 11, 2011.

Fourteen years ago 2,977 people died as terrorists hijacked four passenger planes, smashing two into the World Trade Center in New York. A third jetliner rammed into the Pentagon outside Washington while a fourth one crash-landed on an empty field in Pennsylvania.

Today, the local community joined Americans as they looked to the future while remembering the devastation on that day in 2001, when at 8:46 a.m., the first plane hit the north tower. The second one struck at 9:03 a.m.

Stephen Gluck, 1st Vice Commander of American Legion Post 795, led the ceremony in front of a few dozen people including firemen, law enforcement, Legion members, and parents of soldiers who lost their lives in the conflict following 911.

"9-11 was a day touched by miracles of survival and heroism," said Gluck.

As American Legion post 795 Chaplain Curt Emerie rang the bell 20 times in honor of those that died in the line of duty (known as the "Four-Fives"), a South Lake Tahoe fire truck on its way to an emergency drove by with sirens blaring, driving home the theme of the memorial.

"We are truly blessed and truly honored to have the caliber of fire, police and medical responders that we have in South Lake Tahoe," said Bob St. Angelo of the American Legion.

"We need to appreciate our first responders and veterans," said City Councilwoman JoAnn Conner during the ceremony.

The ceremonial bell was also rung for all conflicts fought on American soil starting with the Revolutionary War.

Post 795 treated those gathered to lunch and cake after the ceremony.