Honoring the Heroes of 9/11 10th Anniversary Remembrance

                                                        Alumni Park, 9/11/11               photo credit: A. Lawson       

             The Pepperdine University 9/11 10^th Anniversary Ceremony was an extraordinary event.  The planning and coordination were both extensive and thoughtful.  The stage and seating layout were well placed with a clear view over the Pacific Ocean towards the Catalina Islands.  The University laid out, in neat order, nearly 3,000 national flags to represent the nationality of each person who was killed on 9/11.  The ceremony began with a procession of military and various first responders, all in full dress uniform.   A moving invocation, crisp honor guard presentation of the flag, recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, and a welcoming by Pepperdine University President Benton began the official ceremony.  Special guests included former Governor Gray Davis, L.A. County Third District Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, and Deena Burnett, widow of Pepperdine alumnus and Flight 93 “let’s roll” leader Tom Burnett.  Each of the special guests spoke thoughtfully at the ceremony.  Deena Burnett’s was particularly moving as she spoke of her husband, the nation, and even presented her three daughters.  To cap off the ceremony, two Navy aircraft conducted a fly over in close formation.  They looked fantastic against a cloudless sky.  It was a great ceremony to honor the victims of the 9/11 attack and the nation’s resolve to give them justice.
Written and photos by Raymond Areshenko