Baltimore joined cities across the country Thursday in honoring the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001 — including the 69 Marylanders who died during the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
At the city’s World Trade Center, an American flag rose against a cloudless sky while police officers stood at attention.
City Administrator Faith Leach led the ceremony, which included a wreath-laying by the Baltimore Police color guard and remarks from Fire Chief James Wallace.
“What we felt in those moments was a mix of fear, shock and above all else, uncertainty,” Wallace said. “But even in that moment of not knowing, there were those who did know exactly what to do.”
He praised first responders and others who ran toward danger without hesitation, saying their actions define courage in the face of the unknown.
At the center of the plaza are three twisted steel beams from the 94th to 96th floors of the North Tower in New York. They rest on a white marble platform etched with names and times, forming a sundial that aligns with the moments the planes struck and the towers collapsed.
Robyn Murphy, CEO of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts, said the memorial’s design creates space for grief and resilience.
“Art has always been a way for people to process grief, honor memory and to create places for collective reflection,” she said. “This is the power of public art.”
Doug Bothner of Ziger Snead Architects, who helped design the memorial, explained the symbolism behind the structure.
“Next to three vertical slabs of polished black granite that reflect the heroism of the individuals who brought down Flight 93 before it reached its intended target,” said Bothner.
“I wonder if you can see your reflection in those black slabs of marble.”
He said the granite columns rise from a base made of 50 marble blocks, each weighing more than 4,000 pounds.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks carried out by the al-Qaida terrorist network. Hijacked planes struck both towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers overtook the cockpit.
