September 11 Remembered at Cal Expo
By James E. Roberts
Staff Writer
There are a handful of dates that call to mind world-altering events. For my parents, it was the morning of December 7, 1941, when Imperial Japan attacked the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. For my generation, the dates were November 22, 1963, when President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and July 21, 1969, when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the Lunar surface.
And for all of us, there is September 11, 2001, when terrorists took control of four passenger jets with the intent of flying them into significant targets in New York City and Washington, D.C. Three of those airplanes reached their targets: the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C. The fourth airplane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers on the flight, having learned of the previous three attacks, stormed the flight deck of the airliner to prevent further destruction.
Larry Davis, a member of 
the Board of Directors at the State Fair, convinced the Board to build a memorial to the victims of those attacks on the State Fairgrounds. The City of New York donated 125,000 pounds of wreckage from the World Trade Center to be used for the monument. Shipped by rail to Sacramento, the massive I-beam was on display at the State Fair in 2002.
Since that date the September 11 Memorial Plaza at the Cal Expo grounds has expanded to include as a centerpiece a 5,180 pound granite sphere, with the names of all 3071 victims engraved upon it, floating on a film of water in remarkable fountain, a carillon bell tower that plays patriotic tunes, reflection towers modeled after the North and South World Trade Center towers that were destroyed, a memorial to the victims of the attack on the Pentagon, including the names of those lost on the airplane and on the ground, and a beautiful fountain dedicated to those who lost their lives on Flight 93, the flight that went down in Pennsylvania. There are also plaque honoring the late Larry Davis and his wife JoAnn, and informational plaques that recalled the events of September 11 and its aftermath. The two fountains, both the one with the granite sphere and the one commemorating Flight 93, are worthy works of art. I was sorry to see that, with all the signs, there was no mention of the designer of either fountain.
The September 11 Memorial Plaza is open during the State Fair and each year on September 11. Parking is free on September 11, as is admission. Visiting the Plaza during the State Fair is an entirely different experience than visiting it on the anniversary of the attacks. During the Fair there is a constant wash of sound from the vendors, the crowds, the midway rides, and quiet contemplation of the memorials can be difficult. Visiting the Memorial Plaza on September 11 is an entirely different matter.
The fairground, usually so crowded, seems vast and empty with all the rides and vendors no longer intruding. Only one portion of the main gate is open, and temporary fencing guides the visitor to the memorial. At the Memorial, a steady stream of visitors walks among the fountains and plaques and other memorials. Some leave flowers or other tokens of remembrance. No one speaks loudly.
It’s not crowded, perhaps only twenty people, but with people arriving and leaving, there is a constant flow. Looking at the massive I-beam and a remarkably twisted smaller piece of steel atop one half of the I-beam, it seemed almost inconceivable that such destruction could have taken place. Reading the names of those lost on September 11 brings the reality of those events into focus.
On September 11 there are many, many remembrances of that day observed around the country. The September 11 Memorial Plaza on the State Fairground at Cal Expo is a moving and thoughtful tribute to those lost, with beautiful works of art commemorating the victims alongside a stark reminder of the destruction of that day.
I was there in mid-afternoon, and at 3:00 o’clock the carillon began to play. It was a jaunty version of “Yankee Doodle,” certainly considered a patriotic song, but it seemed oddly out of place at such a somber event. But then again, “Yankee Doodle” was intended as an insult to the American colonists in rebellion, and those patriots took the song and made it their own. Perhaps it was appropriate after all. You can read more about the memorial and see images of it online at www.calexpo.ca.gov/911
Note: The heinous events of September 11, 2001 have changed our life, but our country and its people are sound and firm in our belief that “We Shall Never Forget!” Words of our resolve were best said by our President George W. Bush on September 12, 2001 when he said: “These Acts Shattered Steel, But They Cannot Dent the Steel of American Resolve.”
The California State Fair Memorial Plaza Foundation is a Public Charity and has been granted a 501(c)3 status by the Internal Revenue Service which allows all donations to be tax deductible. 100% of all donations will be used for the construction and maintenance of the Memorial Plaza.
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