Community Corner

9/11 Memorial Ceremony to be Held Tuesday in Union City

The service begins at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Flight 93 Memorial, located in Sugar Mill Landing Park in Union City.

The local community will once again honor those whose lives were taken during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack in a special remembrance ceremony Tuesday.

The memorial service begins at 9:45 a.m. at the , located at Sugar Mill Landing on the corner of Dyer and Smith streets in Union City.

The event will include songs, a prayer, a reading of the names of the victims and more, according to Flight 93 Memorial founder Michael Emerson.

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Relatives of Bay Area victims will also be at the ceremony, Emerson said.

The memorial itself is dedicated to the passengers and crew members aboard the San Francisco-bound United Airlines Flight 93 that departed from Newark, N. J. on September 11, 2001. The flight was making its way to the Bay Area when it was hijacked by terrorists. The plane crashed near Shanksville, Penn. when passengers attempted to regain control.

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Though no Union City residents were on board the flight, Hayward resident and ex-marine wanted to honor the victims. He took the idea to Union City in 2002 after being turned down by Hayward.

The memorial is made up of 40 red granite monuments with the names, ages and hometowns of the 33 passengers and seven crew members on the flight. Each of the stones feature a metal reflector plate.

The stones lead to the "Circle of Remembrance," which includes three 10-foot engraved stones that tell the story of Flight 93, and lists the names of those who have contributed to the memorial. At the opposite end is the "Plaza of Hope," which includes a flagpole surrounded by tiles painted with inspirational images and words created by Union City youth.

Emerson holds a remembrance ceremony every year at the memorial, along with annual Memorial Day services.

Last year’s of the terrorist attacks drew more than 300 people to the small Union City Park. This year’s event won’t be as large, Emerson said.

“It’s a small gathering … very casual, nothing formal,” Emerson said.

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