Events in Modesto, Turlock will mark 17th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks

Modesto’s commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks will feature a call for unity among diverse residents. Turlock will mark the occasion with a piece of steel from the wreckage.

Both gatherings will take place Tuesday, the 17th anniversary of the day that nearly 3,000 people died after four hijacked planes crashed — two of them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the third into the Pentagon, the fourth into a western Pennsylvania field.

The details:

Modesto: The event will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Fire Station 1, 610 11th St. A police and fire color guard will kick off the ceremony. Remarks will be made by Police Chief Galen Carroll, Fire Chief Allen Ernst and Rep. Jeff Denham.

Bells will toll in a “last call” for 9-11 victims, said Jeremiah Williams, one of the organizers. The theme this year is “Love Not Hate,” a message to be delivered by representatives of various ethnic groups. And then everyone will sing “God Bless America.”

The event is hosted by the city of Modesto, Councilman Mani Grewal, Community Action of Stanislaus County, and Modesto View.

Turlock: The ceremony will start at 8 a.m. at Fire Station 31, 540 E. Marshall St.

The Fire Department will unveil a 12-by-12-foot piece of steel from the World Trade Center that it obtained from the New York Fire Department. It will be a permanent display that visitors can see and touch as a reminder of the people who died.

The Turlock Police Department is co-hosting the event.

This story was originally published September 8, 2018 at 2:55 PM with the headline "Events in Modesto, Turlock will mark 17th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks."