THE PENTAGON -- Battalion Chief Geoff Miller of Sacramento Fire in California was shocked when he returned to the Pentagon a year after responding to the terrorist attack.
He is one of the firefighters who came the furthest to attend a ceremony in memory of those who died in the attack.
He worked at the Pentagon disaster site with FEMA, through CA Task Force 7. He was at the site for 10 days and served as plans chief, facilitating briefings and planning the mission for each day.
He said it was amazing to see bleachers where rescue operations were set up last year.
"It brings kind of a little bit of closure and you always want to come and say howdy," he said.
Many of the fire officials who responded to the crash site last year came together again this September 11 at the invitation-only event, which drew a crowd of about 13,500. This included about 2,000 family members of those killed and wounded in the attack, employees of the Pentagon and representatives from local fire and police jurisdictions.
"I think that the ceremony was a dignified, moving ceremony that probably affected those there in many different ways," said Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Mike Neuhard. The department had 10 representatives at the event.
"For those who were there, it evoked memories, the intensity of the activities," Neuhard said.
The ceremony took place at the site of last year's attack on the Pentagon. Construction at the site is nearly complete and last year's destruction was almost imperceptible.
A stage was placed outside the building where the plane had struck, and the area was floored and surrounded with 40-foot high bleachers.
People packed the stands and guards watched the sky like hawks, but the atmosphere was relaxed as people sat in the sun and took in the speeches and musical selections.
The event began with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. At 9:30 the rest of the events followed,including speeches by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard B. Myers, the Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and President George W. Bush.
The speeches were interspersed with musical selections by the U.S. Army Band with soloists from the Coast Guard, the Marines, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
Neuhard said the remarks and music evoked hope, memories, determination, resilience, resolve, and a sense of national unity.
"It allowed for different feelings at different times," he said. "There was an opportunity for this to be very personal depending on how you were involved."
"I think it was an appropriate tribute," he said. "It effectively gave credit to the nation as a whole and to each individual. It gave everyone credit for their part."
Arlington County Fire Department Capt. George Williams was among over 20 fire officials from his department to attend.
"For us number one, it was an honor and a privilege to be a part of the ceremony," he said.
Williams said it was strange to see the site again in such a different setting. "It looks like it was never hit," he said.
Williams said Rumsfeld gave a strong message, "basically stating that we're not going to give up." However he didn't think the event could bring closure for rescue workers.
"Just like with Pearl Harbor - that hasn't really gotten closure yet," he said. This wasn't a program to say "move on," but that those killed last year "will always be in our memory," Williams said.
The District of Columbia Fire/EMS Department and the Montgomery County, Md. Division of Fire and Rescue Services also sent representatives to the ceremony. Montgomery County sent 33 firefighters with several civilians and family members. Department PIO Pete Piringer said other members will be busy attending various anniversary events throughout the region.
Fire officials also came from the Virginia Beach Fire Department, which sent members up last year to help search for victims and shore up the torn structure.
Deputy Chief Melvin Mathias said it's wonderful to see the building now that it has been repaired.
"This is the symbol of our nation's strength," he said. "To see it whole again tells the whole nation, They may be able to knock us down but watch out because we'll come back up."
