On Thursday afternoon, people from Odessa and the surrounding area gathered at Memorial Gardens Park to honor the lives that were lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with the annual American Tribute ceremony.
The remembrance ceremony was put on by Prosperity Bank as part of an ongoing partnership with the City of Odessa and the Parks and Recreation Department.
The event has been held each September for 20 years.
“It is a privilege and an honor to, number one, honor the first responders,” West Texas Area President of Prosperity Bank Mike Marshall said. “This got started a year after the tragedy, and as a result, it’s been a wonderful tradition for us to carry on every year.”
A total of 3,000 American flags were put up, surrounding the walking path at Memorial Gardens Park. Each flag represents those who died on Sept. 11. The flags will fly until Sept. 19.
“We couldn’t do it without the help of the Odessa Parks and Recreation Department and their effort,” Marshall said. “They have placed 3,000 rods in the ground so that we can come by and put an American flag on each one. But the way this thing lights up when we’re done and what it represents to our community is phenomenal.”
Representatives from the city, Prosperity Bank and each first responder agency were among the speakers at the event.
Odessa City Manager Michael Marrero delivered the City of Odessa response during the ceremony.
“We as a community have not forgotten the events of 9-11,” Marrero said. “More importantly, we as a community have not forgotten those that we lost. This gives us an opportunity to remember those individuals and remember what an impact that had on our entire country and world. That day was a very dark day for our entire country. But it also showed us the resiliency that we as Americans have. That when something happens to this nation, we come together around one and that was no more evident than on 9-11.”
Marrero also thanked first responders.
“I have the great honor of working with these men and women on a day-to-day basis,” Marrero said. “Ector County is so blessed to have the folks that we have in our Odessa Police Department, Odessa Fire and Rescue and our dispatch. These folks on a day-to-day basis do the work that many of you don’t see. You might hear about a crash, but there are things that happen that you’ll never see that these men and women never get the gratitude that they deserve, so I want to thank them for their hard work and for the many contributions they provide this community.”
The event included a musical performance by the Odessa Fire Rescue Pipes and Drums and a wreath laying ceremony to honor the fallen first responders.
Grace Christian Fellowship Pastor Ben Ford delivered the invocation and benediction.
Odessa Fire Rescue Fire Chief John Alvarez, Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke and Ector County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Eddie Mancha placed the wreath next to the memorial during the ceremony.
The tribute ceremony first started back in 2002. This year’s ceremony was the first traditional program to take place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
