Overview

• Volunteers from Arizona State University’s Army ROTC and athletics, local schools, veterans and firefighters began the tribute at dawn with a moment of silence and flag placement at Tempe Beach Park.
• Each flag includes a notecard with a victim’s name, with yellow ribbons for first responders, sky-blue for flight crews, combat boots for veterans and stuffed bears for the eight children killed.
• The Exchange Club of Tempe, which started the memorial in 2004 and is now led by chairmen Nick Bastian and Ryan Royse, organized the field by sections for the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the flights and Red Cross workers.
• Relatives and friends sought out specific flags to honor loved ones, including Deborah Koebler for her father William Steckman and Jeff Eger for Arizona victim Gary Bird.
• Weekend events include a Freedom Concert and the Tunnel to Towers 5K, with the public invited to help “stand down the field” on Monday, Sept. 15.