Nearly 3,000 flags adorn the expansive lawn of Pepperdine University in memory of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks 12 years ago -- one flag for each victim.
American flags that line the school's lawn at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road represent American lives. Those who died in the attacks who were not from the United States are memorialized with a flag from their home country.
The flag memorial serves as a tribute in addition to The Heroes Garden, a public space to reflect and honor those who sacrificed their lives on 9/11, including Pepperdine alumnus Thomas E. Burnett, a passenger on United Flight 93.
Burnett acted with the other passengers to divert the hijacked airliner, and he is remembered in the university's outdoor garden that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.
"September 11, 2001, will be in our memories forever. Where you were, when you heard, what you felt, and what you did," said Pepperdine University President Andrew Benton in 2011. "Times like these prove that the heart is more than just an organ; it is part of what makes us human."
The Southern California school's events are just some of many others across Los Angeles, including an LAFD Museum and Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Hollywood, and a 9/11 Remembrance Night during Wednesday's LA Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium.
In Elysian Park, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and members of the Los Angeles Fire Department attended a ceremony at the department's training complex. The event included a helicopter flyover.
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Beck called Sept. 11, 2001, a "day of horror and infamy."
More Southern California Sept. 11 Events
- Battleship Iowa, 8 a.m.: Observance at Berth 87 at the Port of Los Angeles.
- Monterey Park, 8:30 a.m.: Patriot Day observance at City Hall, 320 W. Newmark Ave.
- Nixon Library, 11 a.m.: Free program with remarks by Marine Corps Brigadier General Vincent Coglianese and Nixon Confidant Bruce Herschensohn. Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.
- Palmdale, 9 a.m.: Remembrance ceremony at the Fallen Heroes Memorial at the Antelope Valley Mall (Main Entrance), 1233 W Rancho Vista Blvd.
- Rosemead, Noon: Flag raising and wreath laying ceremonies next to to September 11th Memorial in the Civic Center, 8838 E. Valley Boulevard.
Sept. 11 victims' loved ones will also gather at ground zero in New York City to commemorate the attacks' anniversary with the reading of names, moments of silence and serene music that have become tradition.
Name-reading, wreath-laying and other tributes will be underway at the Pentagon and at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., while the commemoration unfolds at ground zero, where New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has helped orchestrate the observances from their start, will be watching for his last time in office.
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