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The garden of U.S. flags planted outside Sandy City Hall and across the street numbered more than 3,000.
Each waved in the wind Saturday as if greeting the horde of Salt Lake City residents who came to pay their respects to the Americans who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as well as those soldiers still fighting in Iraq.
About 200 people, some wearing U.S. flag T-shirts and pins, stood for a moment of silence during the opening of the ceremony to honor those killed three years ago. A Blackhawk helicopter flown by the Utah National Guard passed over the healing field of flags a few moments later as the Army Color Guard presented colors.
Many who turned up for the hourlong Sept. 11 memorial service quietly shed tears and comforted each other while guest speakers addressed the crowd.
We will always remember the 2,990 individuals killed in that attack, Gov. Olene Walker said.
She spoke briefly and posed for photos before leaving early for another engagement. But Walker reminded the audience that as she spoke, Lance Cpl. Michael Allred's body was being returned to Hyde Park for burial.
We in Utah are not immune from the tragic results of that day, Walker said.
Allred was one of two Utah Marines killed this past week in fighting in Iraq. The other was Lance Cpl. Quinn Keith of Blanding.
Across the valley at downtown Salt Lake City's Gallivan Plaza, members of the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus also gathered Saturday to pay their respects to the dead.
They used their memorial service and a Freedom Fair that followed to advocate for "a more hopeful and progressive" response to terrorist acts.
"The message right now seems to be, 'Be afraid, very afraid,' " said Craig Axford, caucus co-chairman. "We don't need to be afraid . . . . As tragic as 9-11 was . . . nothing has happened here since."
He said Americans should focus less on national security and more on "proactive" issues in the wake of Sept. 11, such as preserving civil liberties while promoting safety and reducing U.S. dependency on foreign oil.
At the event, Susan DeLegge of Salt Lake City recalled the horror she felt Sept. 11, but said she was horrified once again when the United States invaded Iraq.
"A lot of the actions we have taken since September 11, like invading Iraq, have set us up for another attack," she said. "I'm proud of our troops fighting for our country over there, I just wish it was the right fight."
In Sandy, Army Sgt. 1st. Class Luis Vega, who served tours of duty in Iraq and Afganistan, offered a stirring explanation for why he and other soldiers are motivated to fight overseas.
What's the drive? I have only one response, he said on the verge of tears. The love of country, its people, the pursuit of life and its happiness.
The 438 Army Reserve ended the ceremony with a 21-gun salute followed by the playing of taps.
Sandy resident Alice Pratt said the memorial was absolutely awesome.
It's almost a sacred feeling here, she said. You just feel the spirit.
Alice's husband, Paul, said the ceremony was a reminder of how easy it is to forget what happened to the United States three years ago. This reminds us where our allegiance needs to be, he said.
Dozens of people waited after the ceremony to shake hands and talk with military personnel at the service.
Draper resident Jared Bowers, who brought his young daughter in a red-and-blue-starred dress, said he visits the memorial every year to see the flags.
I like to be patriotic, he said.
West Jordan resident Jan Lepore agreed with the Pratts that ceremonies such as Saturday's memorial are needed.
We can't let people forget what happened to us, she said.
A teenage girl leaving with her mother paused and read one of the thousands of cards wrapped in yellow ribbon and tied to the flags. The cards bore the names of victims of the Sept. 11. attacks.
Wow, she said. He was only 19.