Hundreds gathered in Lions Park Saturday morning to mourn the fallen of that fateful Sept. 11 day 20 years ago when 2,997 Americans died in the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa.

“This is a day we try not to remember but have to remember,” said Dan Williams, commander of the American Legion Eric V. Dickson Post 1980 and master of ceremonies. “First responders, this is your day; for anybody here who lost friends and relatives on 9/11, we grieve with you today.”

The ceremony was poignant and emotional, and came only weeks after 13 service members were killed by a suicide bomb during America’s exit from a 20-year war in Afghanistan.

Many in attendance dressed in the colors of the American flag and shed tears throughout the ceremony.

Williams began the remembrance by calling attention to a poster, bearing photos and names of the 13 who died last month, placed in the center of the park by Doloretta Barber. “Our generation started the war that our kids ended,” Williams said.

After the attacks of Sept. 11, Williams, a retired U.S. Army colonel and combat veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, said he foresaw the consequences. “As a soldier, I knew with certainty that I would go to combat. I didn’t know who did it or where we were going but knew

that what is called ‘revenge’ would be called ‘the American way’ and I’d be responding in harm’s way, and I was right.”

The war seemed endless, said Andy Tyler, commander of VFW Post 6051. “We dealt with countless deployments, over to Iraq, over to Afghanistan, over and over,” Tyler said. “We lost friends, relatives, and deal with statistics that seem overwhelming at times. Remember our veterans that passed, honor them, today is their day.”

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell paid tribute to the first responders of Sept. 11 while highlighting more recent violence on American soil, where 266 law-enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year. “They were doing the same thing as those who were there on 9/11,” Mikesell said. “But the first responders taught us how to go forward. They were heroes and we have more heroes to come.”

Teller County Commissioner Erik Stone spoke of the divisions in America and recalled a quote by Abraham Lincoln from his famous “House Divided” speech given as he accepted the Illinois state Republican nomination for senator in June 1858. The speech was about the future of slavery in the U.S., and Lincoln declared, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

David Buttery, former Woodland Park public works director who helped design the park after 9/11 as a memorial and a place that invites contemplation, spoke of the park’s symbolism. Fifty-two flags represent each state and the United States while the Corps of Engineers’ flag honors the city of Woodland Park’s partnership with a Fort Carson battalion.

“The flag represents the commitment of the city and the community of Woodland Park to our American soldiers in the 4th Engineer Battalion,” said Buttery, an Army veteran and a former city manager — a role he claimed after serving as public works director.

In the center of the park are the Colorado, U.S. and Department of Defense flags that represent America’s armed forces. “They are out front, protecting our country,” Buttery said. “Standing behind me you see two beautiful Colorado spruce trees. They are planted there intentionally to be the guardians of this hallowed ground.”

The circle at the center of the park is a memorial dedicated to Sept. 11, with twin towers of Pikes Peak granite to symbolize the twin towers of the World Trade Center and an engraved stone for the Pentagon — each placed on a bed of grass that represents the field in Pennsylvania.

“The symbolism here is powerful to me,” Buttery said. “I hope it has made a difference in your day when we honor our veterans, our first responders.”

Students of today see the divisions, hear the stories, said Woodland Park School Superintendent Mathew Neal. “By teaching our kids about patriotism, constitutionalism and what it means to be an American in today’s society, we are combined and connected in a unified fight against terrorism.”

Williams invited Michael Lawson, city manager, to drape the black cloth over the twin towers while those there to commemorate the day gathered around to mourn as one.

Bruce Taylor, chaplain with the American Legion, opened and concluded the ceremony with prayer.