Today, I had the honor of joining my colleagues from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Parks Bureau at the Los Angeles Fire Department’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, held at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center near Dodger Stadium.
Standing alongside members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and community leaders, I was reminded once again of the weight of September 11, 2001, a day when nearly 3,000 lives were lost, including 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, and 55 military personnel. At the Pentagon, 184 more lives were taken, and aboard United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, passengers made the ultimate sacrifice to prevent an even greater tragedy. Amid this immense loss, over 25,000 lives were saved by the swift courage of first responders and everyday citizens.
During the ceremony, we were invited to touch a 23-ton steel column recovered from the South Tower lobby of the World Trade Center. As my hand rested on the steel, I reflected on the bravery, unity, and sacrifice it represents. It is more than an artifact; it is a call to continue living in service to others.
At the Lampkin Foundation, that is our mission. Whether through scholarships, disaster recovery, youth mentorship, or programs that strengthen families, we remain committed to honoring the legacy of those who gave everything on that fateful day. Service is how we remember. Service is how we heal. Service is how we build a stronger tomorrow.
President Barack Obama once said:
“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”
As we carry forward, let us not only remember the fallen but live each day determined to build the kind of communities they would be proud of, resilient, compassionate, and united.
D’Andre D Lampkin, HSEM
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