Multiple events in Palm Springs are being planned to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Among them:
- The community is invited to a 20th anniversary memorial at Palm Springs Fire Department headquarters, 300 N. El Cielo Rd., to pay tribute to firefighters and police officers who perished on 9/11. The event gets underway at 8:30 AM, with a special ceremony starting at 9:11 AM. After the ceremony, the public is invited to meet with firefighters and enjoy live music and food from on-site food trucks. Money from the sale of food and commemorative T-shirts at the event will go to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in Maryland.
- The Palm Springs Air Museum is planning to fly a fleet of historic aircraft on a memorial flight on Saturday. The planes will depart from the museum around 9:45 AM and then fly over Palm Springs City Fire Station #2 before continuing to fly over 26 additional fire stations in the Coachella Valley and High Desert, as well as Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. The aircraft will carry flags to honor our lost local service members. Notable aircraft participating are the P-63 King Cobra, two P-51 Mustangs, a C-47 Sky Train, and the T-6 Texan
- Palm Canyon Theatre, 538 N. Palm Canyon Dr., will present The Guys, a play by Anne Nelson about the aftereffects of the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. To honor all who responded to the call and those who perished on that tragic day, The Guys will run Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12. Show times are 7 PM on Saturday and 2 PM on Sunday. Tickets are $29.50; students are $15. All active police, firefighters and military can call the box office at 760-323-5123 for complimentary admission, based on available space.
September 11 is observed each year to remember the day almost 3,000 people were killed when 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defined the presidency of George W. Bush.
National broadcast: Many events are planned across the nation on Saturday. C-SPAN is planning live coverage starting at 4 AM Palm Springs time. For more information on the coverage and how you can call in to offer your thoughts, turn here.
