L.A. Plans to Mark 9/11 Anniversary

Standing in front of a hook-and-ladder fire engine, Mayor James K. Hahn announced Monday a modest commemoration of the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The memorial program includes a procession of six emergency vehicles traveling across the city; the creation of an 8-foot-tall collage; a noontime moment of silence; and a sunset ceremony at the Korean Friendship Bell in San Pedro.

Not all the details have been hammered out. Take, for instance, the procession route. As press secretary Julie Wong put it, “We want to have as little impact as possible on traffic.”

After Los Angeles was belittled for its paltry millennium festivities, city officials sounded almost defensive in describing what Hahn called a “modest” tribute in honor of the 2,823 people killed after hijacked jets crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

But across the nation, several cities seemed to be in the midst of a last-minute scramble to firm up or create plans for the anniversary. In Boston, where two of the ill-fated airplanes took off, residents expressed outrage that officials appeared to have no plans in hand.

“The city wants to recognize the tragic loss we shared on Sept. 11,” said Peter Nagle, a spokesman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “We’re working towards doing that and want to make sure we get it right.”

Nagle said the city hoped to release its plan this week.

New York has numerous events planned, including a procession of victims’ relatives into the lowest level of the Trade Center site. Activities also are scheduled in other cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Seattle and San Diego.

In San Diego, Sept. 11 has been declared Patriot Day by Mayor Dick Murphy. A public ceremony, followed by a concert, is scheduled at Balboa Park. San Diegans have been urged to fly flags and turn on porch lights, and the Navy plans a ceremony on an amphibious assault ship. In Seattle, city leaders will lead a silent parade to a downtown park, while Atlantans will stage a candlelight march.

In Los Angeles, the tribute will begin with bell ringing at schools, churches and mosques at 5:46 a.m., the local time that the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center.

At that moment, the six-vehicle procession will begin, starting in North Hollywood and traveling through Van Nuys, Woodland Hills, downtown and south Los Angeles. It will end in San Pedro, Wong said.

The procession will be composed of two police cars, two fire engines, a Red Cross van and a military vehicle. One of the two Fire Department vehicles will haul what is expected to be a giant collage, pasted on a wall that could be about 20 feet long.

City officials hope that Angelenos will contribute to the collage by creating remembrances no larger than 8 1/2-by-11 inches that will be affixed to a two-sided wall. The remembrances, such as poems, paintings or photographs, must be dropped off at any fire station or City Council office before Sept. 2.

Hahn said city officials are open to suggestions about where to permanently house the commemorative wall once the procession is concluded. At least initially, the wall will be part of an exhibit at the Firefighters Museum.

One retired firefighter, Brian Prosser, has told Fire Department officials that he plans to supply a military patch for the collage that belonged to his son, Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser, who was killed in “friendly fire” in Afghanistan.

In addition to the procession and collage, officials said there will be a ceremony at City Hall that will culminate in a moment of silence. Following the silence, participants will be invited to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for an interfaith service.

In the afternoon, the cauldron at the Memorial Coliseum will be lighted. At sunset, the Lindbergh Beacon atop City Hall will be illuminated and the lights will sweep the sky until midnight, Wong said.

Information about additional events will be available on the Web site www.laremembers.org.

“The tragic events of Sept. 11 left a profound scar on the nation and Los Angeles,” Hahn said. “With three crashed airplanes headed for Los Angeles, and the men and women from our Fire Department sent to New York to help in the rescue efforts, the impacts of this day have great significance for Los Angeles and our residents.”

Planning for the program began four weeks ago, Wong said. The costs, which are not expected to exceed $20,000, will be picked up by the program sponsor, United Parcel Service, she said.

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Times staff writer Tony Perry contributed to this report.