First responders: Citrus Heights Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Metro Fire, Cal Fire, and Sacramento Law Enforcement Chaplaincy all answered the call to attend this service. Photo by Celeste Cox

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – It’s 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 11 at the Sylvan Cemetery in Citrus Heights. A 25-minute tribute to the fallen of 9/11 and our present first responders begin with none of the usual posting of colors or other tradition. Community members, local veterans, Sacramento County first responders and chaplains gather quietly to honor the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001, marking twenty-five years since the tragedy that reshaped the nation.

Pastor Tom Galovich opened the service with each of the 15 first responders present introducing themselves and where they serve, including seven members of the Sacramento Law Enforcement Chaplaincy for trauma response.

At the request of his daughter Cindy who joined him on that day, Galovich sang a moving Battle Hymn of the Republic with the audience joining in.

Sacramento County Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez’s Chief of Staff Matt Hedges delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the importance of remembering the individual human stories behind the historic tragedy rather than treating the day as a distant statistic. He highlighted the selflessness of the firefighters, paramedics and police officers and emergency personnel who rushed into danger at all three locations, linking their sacrifice to the daily dedication of the law enforcement and emergency response teams serving Sacramento County today.

“There is something very meaningful about meeting at a cemetery. A cemetery teaches us something important. A life is not a number. It is a name, a family and a story about someone who was loved. And that remembrance matters,” Hedges said.

He pointed out that the those who serve today in any part of their community bring honor those who served and lost their lives. We can all carry on their legacy with our own courage.

“Courage does not always announce itself with sirens. Courage is simply showing up when someone needs it. It is quiet and often unseen. The strength of a community is built on the thousands of small decisions to help others.” He continued, “I see here in our community, firefighters, law enforcement, emergency dispatchers and medical personnel. Also, veterans, volunteers, faith communities, local organizations and our neighbors who give their time without any recognition.”

He emphasized the importance that we teach those who don’t remember this date to learn to live with courage, sacrifice and gratitude. “It is these future generations who will continue to preserve the legacy of that day not just by looking back at the loss.” He concluded with, “God bless the families of the fallen, God bless first responders, God bless those who serve, God bless Sacramento County and God bless the United States of America.”

Adding his own message of hope and community action, Galovich reminisced about his experience of the day of Sept. 11.  He was told by a lady, “I didn’t like 9/11. But I liked 9/12 as all stores ran out of American flags.”

He also spoke of how less than 40 percent of our population was born in 2001 and we should be transforming remembrance into daily service. Like Hedges, Galovich encouraged community members to honor the fallen through active kindness, volunteerism and supporting neighborhood programs.

“Thank all first responders you see for what they do. Remembrance isn't just about standing in silence once a year. It’s found in how we treat our neighbors, how we support our local schools, and how we step up to serve those in need right here in our own backyard.”

Twenty-five minutes after it began, this tribute to the fallen ended as it had begun, with no ritual, just a moment of silence, a recorded Taps and the singing of God Bless of America by all, leaving attendees with a sense of shared purpose and renewed community unity.

As the short service ended, those attending a funeral service in that space began to arrive as a solemn reminder that the rituals of life go on with all that entails, including death. It is how we live that matters.