FORT SMITH, Ark. (KFSM) — The Fort Smith Fire Department is honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice 18 years ago today.
The fire department will honor the brave men and women who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, with a special ceremony.
An Honor Guard will raise the American Flag at Station 1, 200 N. 5th St., at 7 a.m. The flag will then be lowered to half staff.
A member of the Honor Guard will ring the fire bell three times for each major moment of that fateful day. It will ring at 9:46 a.m. to represent when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
At 10:03 a.m., the bell will ring for those onboard United Flight 175, which hit the South Tower.
The bell will be rung again at 10:38 a.m., the time when American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.
It will ring at 10:59 a.m., when the South Tower collapsed, and at 11:03 a.m. for United Flight 93, which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after those on the plane attempted to overtake the hijackers and prevented another building hit.
Finally, the bell will ring at 11:28 a.m., when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.
The Fort Smith Firefighters Pipe and Drum Corps will then play "Amazing Grace."
The fire department has held the ceremony every year since the first anniversary of 9/11.