Sept. 11’s Rubble at Nixon Library

More than 2,000 people visited the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda on Sunday to view twisted beams from New York’s World Trade Center, a seared firetruck and other exhibits commemorating the events of Sept. 11.

“People have come all day and night to see this,” said Sandy Quinn, the library’s assistant director.

The library conducted a memorial concert Sunday to honor those who died in the terrorist attacks, and on Saturday 16 tons of steel from the twin office towers and a New York City firetruck used on Sept. 11 were brought to the former president’s birthplace.

Visitors viewed the exhibits in somber silence, and wrote down their thoughts in commemorative books provided by the library.

“We’ve never had anything like this, obviously. Seeing this gives you a chill. It makes you mad,” said Jon Zeiger of San Juan Capistrano. “I didn’t think a chunk of metal would make me feel that way. But it does.”

Barbara Marcosa, who works as a spokeswoman for the Costa Mesa Fire Department, came with her husband, Joe. “We wanted some closure.... We wanted to get some photos, something to remember 9/11 by,” she said.

“It’s really amazing. It’s also really sad.”

The truck, beams, a piece of the facade from the Pentagon and a flag from the Shanksville, Pa., crash site were brought to the library by the San Bernardino-based Freedom Flame Sept. 11 Memorial Foundation.

The exhibit, which has traveled through several cities, will be at the Nixon library until Sept. 29. The metal will be used to make a permanent memorial in Rancho Cucamonga, said Quinn.

On Sunday, the University of Southern California USC Trojan Marching Band offered a patriotic concert.

The library will conduct other events this week:

Harry Waizer, who was badly injured at the World Trade Center, and Commander Bradley D. Voigt, a U.S. Navy SEAL who directed forces in Afghanistan, will speak Tuesday at 2 p.m. The public may light candles to float in the library’s reflecting pool from 3 p.m. Tuesday until noon Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the library will conduct ceremonies at 5:45 a.m., when American Flight 11 struck the north tower of the World Trade Center; at 6:03, a.m., when United Flight 175 struck the south tower; at 6:40 a.m., when American Flight 177 struck the Pentagon; and at 7 a.m., when UnitedFlight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pa.