REGION: Patriot Week recalls 9/11 victims

Police, fire join for three events to mark anniversary

By JEFF FRANK - Staff Writer | Thursday, September 4, 2008 7:03 PM PDT ∞

NORTH COUNTY ---- Firefighters and police officers in Escondido will honor victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at a trio of events during what they are calling Patriot Week.

A Vista church will also hold an event marking the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, highjacked airliner crashes in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Two firefighters from FDNY Rescue 4 in Queens, N.Y., will participate in weekend activities in Escondido, during which money will be raised in memory of a New York City firefighter killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center, as well as a Border Patrol agent killed in January trying to apprehend a smuggler.

The Patriot Week activities begin Friday at Cruisin' Grand, where antique police and fire vehicles will join the classic car owners cruising Escondido's main drag.

The Fire Department's 1926 La France fire engine known as Ol' Betsy will be parked between 5 and 9 p.m. at the intersection of Grand and Broadway alongside the firefighters association's 1956 Crown Coach Ford fire engine. An antique Escondido police vehicle will also be displayed.

Firefighters and police officers will be selling 9/11 commemorative T-shirts to raise money for their respective charities, the Terry Farrell Scholarship Fund ---- in memory of the New York firefighter ---- and the family of Luis Aguilar, the Border Patrol agent.

The action moves Saturday to the softball fields at Kit Carson Park for the sixth annual 9/11 Memorial Softball Tournament. Eight teams ---- representing the Escondido departments, the San Marcos and Carlsbad fire departments and the Border Patrol ---- will compete for the tournament trophy.

Play continues from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the annual grudge match between the Escondido Police and Fire Department teams taking place around 12:30 p.m. The Fire Department has won the last three games, proudly displaying the trophy at the entrance of Fire Station 2.

The police are fielding two teams this year in an effort to change their luck.

"Hopefully, one of them will beat those guys," said Officer Mike Garcia, adding, "if we have to impound a few firetrucks to get back our trophy, we're willing to do that."

Patriot Week will wrap up at 5 p.m. Thursday in Grape Day Park when police and fire personnel gather to read the names of public safety employees and local residents who died during the attacks. Susan Ward-Baker, whose son Timothy Ward was killed in the crash of United Flight 175 into the south tower of the World Trade Center, will speak.

"We welcome all people who would like to read names," said firefighter Michael O'Connor, Patriot Week organizer. "We want to remember what happened. ... I still get e-mails from the families of victims of 9/11, so I want to continue to do this."

On Sunday, Faith Lutheran Church in Vista will host its seventh annual 9/11 observation. The event, called an All-American Barbecue and Remembrance Gathering, will begin after the 10:30 a.m. service at the church, 700 E. Bobier Drive.

Vista Mayor Vance Morris will make a special proclamation remembering former church member Army Spc. Wade Twyman, who was killed in Iraq in 2005. Twyman grew up in Vista and was active in the youth group at Faith Lutheran.

U.S. Navy Lutheran Chaplain Capt. Robert D. Crossan II, commanding base chaplain at Camp Pendleton, will be the guest speaker at weekend services at the church

The remembrance gathering will also include appearances by Cmdr. Charles Baker, facilities officer for the USS Nimitz; a bagpipe performance; representatives from the Vista Sheriff's Station and San Marcos Fire Department; representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marines; and patriotic face painters from the Armed Services YMCA.

Contact staff writer Jeff Frank at (760) 740-5419 or jfrank@nctimes.com.

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