Pueblo Honors 9/11 Heroes

The people of Pueblo are honoring the hundreds of men and women who lost their lives on Sept. 11th. It?s a free ceremony, thanks in part to the firefighters from New York City.

The memorial service was held Saturday at the Riverwalk and hundreds of people were on hand to remember the day our country was attacked.

Capt. Mark Guerra took a minute to speak to KRDO NewsChannel 13 about something he said isn?t easy.

?I turned around and all there was a cloud of dust on the television. I kept saying, ?What happened? What happened?? Everyone was in such shock that they couldn’t say that the tower came down. They couldn’t comprehend that the tower came down,? said Guerra.

He remembers thinking of all the people who lost their lives.

?I just kind of sat there and ran through my head the number of people who might have been in that building. You know, you could never guess that 343 guys would die, but it was a pretty good idea that a great many of us had passed away that day,? said Guerra.

The Center For American Values in Pueblo helped put on an event to honor people like Guerra.

“What this country endured on 9/11 is a powerful reminder that in the mist of horrific things human beings can be great,? said Susan Smith with the Center for American Values.

Music, food and people crowded the streets.

?As a pueblo girl, as a native, Pueblo brings it every time. They are very patriotic,? said Smith.

Pueblo?s police and fire chief spoke to the public, and even Medal of Honor recipient Drew Dix said a few words.

?To come to your home town after receiving the Medal of Honor is probably the most pride I’ve had,? said Dix.

Smith said she expects thousands to attend.