Southern California Marks 16th Anniversary Of Sept. 11 Attacks

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Events across Southern California were held Monday in remembrance of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States that took place 16 years ago today.

Almost 3,000 people were killed and thousands more injured when passenger airplanes were used to take down the World Trade Center in New York and to fly into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001. A fourth plane was flown into a Pennsylvania field when the passengers wrested control of it from terrorists armed with knives

On the East Coast, a moment of silence was observed in New York and Washington D.C. at 8:47 a.m., the moment American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

In Southern California, a variety of ceremonies and displays marked the solemn day.

LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas, Police Chief Charlie Beck and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla among those in attendance as the Los Angeles Fire Department held its annual 9/11 ceremony at the Frank Hotchkin Training Center on Stadium Way near Dodger Stadium.

Students placed nearly 3,100 American flags on the front lawn of Walnut High School over the weekend to commemorate the anniversary, along with a 15-foot–tall 911 and Pentagon-shaped display with the red, white, and blue markers.

A similar event was held in Malibu at Pepperdine University, where 2,977 U.S. flags were displayed on its campus in its Waves of Flags display.

Orange County firefighter Scott Townley, whose home has served as a tribute to the victims of 9/11 for the last 16 years, added solid granite plaques and bright lighting to the display.

"This year, I got to do what I've wanted to do for many years, which was do a self-guided tour," Townley said.