Cities of Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and Homewood honor those fallen in 9/11

Fifteen years after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, residents of Homewood, Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook came together Sunday to remember the lives lost on that day.

Patriot Day took place outside the Crestline fire station, next to the 9/11 memorial, a 1,305-pound H-beam from the World Trade Center that was dedicated in 2013. The ceremony included a wreath-laying, a bell ceremony and a moment of silence at the time the planes struck the World Trade Center in 2001.

A large U.S. flag hung over the crowd as retired Navy Rear Admiral John T. (Jack) Natter spoke, reflecting on the day and how the nation has memorialized those tragic events ever since.

Events like 9/11 are important “because they had an impact on our history, our lives, our children and our future,” Natter said in an interview prior to Patriot Day. “They impact how we go forward. Hopefully, we learn from some of these incidents and they will never be repeated.”