RATHDRUM — Remembering that Americans “came together with a remarkable sense of community” in the face of the 9/11 tragedy 20 years ago, Mayor Vic Holmes proclaimed Sept. 11 the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance.

Members of Rathdrum American Legion Post 154, the Northwest Guardian Riders and the City of Rathdrum gathered with about 150 citizens Saturday to honor the lives lost in the terrorist attacks.

Pete Williams, from Northwest Guardian Riders, is himself a combat veteran. “I am forever grateful for the support and heroism of our first responders,” he said. “We came together on the day that we were attacked.”

The ceremony honored military forces, the first responders who rushed in and those who went to work, school, or the grocery store on Sept. 11, 2001, not knowing their lives would be lost in the brutal attack on America.

Northern Lakes Fire Department Chief Pat Riley took a moment for a “personal point of privilege to thank each person who has served.”

“Thank you for the freedom we enjoy every day,” Riley said.

Riley recalled that over 340 members of the Fire Department in New York, representing Engine 33 from the Bronx, perished on 9/11. “They rushed in as everyone else was rushing out,” he said.

“Police, civilians and military personnel paid the ultimate price that day due to selfish terrorist acts.”

Riley said that as a fire chief, he recognizes a particular feeling that first responders sometimes experience during their time of service.

"It is the distinct feeling that you may not make it out alive,” he said. “I have no doubt that first responders that day felt that feeling.”

The act of showing up despite the fear is what marks the lives of first responders as unforgettable.

“The memory and legacy of those who served and all of those who died is an inspiration for a firefighter's acts of service,” Riley said.

The Rathdrum Fire Department has a piece of the Twin Towers hanging in the firehouse, Riley said.

“It is a symbol of resilience. We will never forget and we will never fail to respond,” Riley said.

“As a citizen, I am thankful for what we have,” Holmes said. “In remembrance of those lives suddenly lost, may they rest in peace and abide in memory.”

The solemn ceremony concluded with a military gun salute and a pastoral address from Craig Rice of Encounter Church in Rathdrum.

“Twenty years have passed, and may we never forget,” he said. “The shock of the tragic day has subsided, but our memory remains intact.”