Community residents are encouraged to attend the Friday, Sept. 11 gathering at the Escalon Fire Station, 1749 Coley, in observance of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Fire Department officials have hosted the ceremony for the last several years, offering a Community Moment of Silence and Prayer, with the ceremony beginning at 9:11 a.m. each year. Fire Chief Rick Mello will serve as Master of Ceremonies, with the event to include music, information about the attacks on New York City and the Pentagon 25 years ago, also the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania when passengers fought back against the hijackers, as well as remarks from guest speakers. There is also a traditional “End Of Watch” bell ceremony in honor of the many first responders who lost their lives that day while trying to rescue those trapped in the Twin Towers.

Locally, the sacrifice of James R. Layton, a Navy corpsman, is remembered, as he was killed in action in Afghanistan on Sept. 8, 2009 in the War on Terror that followed the terrorist attacks.

Chief Mello described the memorial ceremony as a time to remember those we lost, honor our heroes and pray for peace.