Dozens gathered in downtown Lansing Tuesday morning to honor the lives lost on 9-11. A remembrance ceremony began at the Lansing Center around 8:30a.m. and ended in Wentworth Park.
"I saw the first images... That was a huge moment. As you can see, I still carry that baggage with me. That's a precious piece of feeling that I don't ever want to go away," said Llewellyn Drong.
It's been 11 years and just thinking about September 11th, nearly brought Llewellyn Drong to tears.
He, like many others, could remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news that the United States was under attack.
"It reminds me of who I am. It reminds me of who I depend on. It reminds me of people who depend on me and it reminds me of my humanity and there by, it reminds me of my connection to the people who died, in these crashes, in these buildings," said Drong.
Dozens of people paid their respects to the nearly 3,000 people killed, more than 400 of those who were first responders.
"It's important that we stop and reflect that yeah, the day to day stuff has its place, but what's truly important here? Let's really stop and continue to remember what's really important, so we can continue to enjoy the freedoms that we can," said Steve Babcock with the Lansing Fire Deparment.
A chime rang out throughout the morning at the exact moment of each significant event, a chilling reminded of the horror 11 years ago, but also a reminder of something good: a time when the country came together like never before.
"Just because something's painful, doesn't mean there isn't something good. Because we recognize that in the face of tragedy, that we need each other's strength in order to get through tragedy."
Lansing's Memorial Ceremony was just one of many going on Tuesday. You can find a complete list posted here.
