The 9/11 Flag of Honor was raised at Lone Tree’s City Hall on Saturday morning on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, joining 59 other communities in the first-ever event.

Lone Tree’s Teen Court hosted the 9/11 Flag of Honor Across America Memorial. The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority, Lone Tree Police Department and Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet joined in the commemoration.

None of the Teen Court’s six members were alive when the attacks occurred, however, they said it was important to remember the day.

“It’s really important for those of us who weren’t alive then to remember that it happened and to still acknowledge that this is part of our past,” said Maya Rodenbaugh, one of the members of the teen court.

A handful of Boy Scouts from Troop 444 raised the honor flag shortly after 9 a.m. The seven red stripes on the American flag were inscribed with the names of the 2,977 people who died 20 years ago.

A moment of silence followed and then the Teen Court members read 50 of the victims’ names. The other cities read other names and together they read the name of each and every victim.

The Lone Tree Teen Court is a diversion-like justice program for youth run by youth to help troubled youth understand and address the harm they caused by committing a crime.

Parker residents Robert Blair and his wife, Pam, came to the event because it’s a day, like many others, will never forget. The family was living in Washington D.C. on the day of the attacks and was pleasantly surprised to see celebrations happening outside of the impacted areas.

“We just moved here from Washington a few months ago and when you live in areas like D.C. or New York they have big celebrations, so to see so many things happening around the state, so we’re glad to see people remembering the day,” Blair said.

Blair worked for a federal agency at the time at drove past the Pentagon about a half and hour before American Airlines Flight 11 struck the north tower of the World Trade Center. Blair declined to identify which agency he worked for.

He arrived at his office in downtown Washington D.C.,  just in time to watch the second plane strike the south tower in real time.

“That’s when we knew in our agency that it was terrorism, so we started swirling and getting ready for a response,” he said.

At the time, the Blair’s two daughters — aged two and four at the time — were at day care. After the Pentagon was struck by American Airlines Flight 77, the city went on lockdown. Pam Blair picked up the children nearly 10 hours after the incident, while her husband was stranded in downtown for over 15 hours.

Blair said it was promising to see the younger generation host an important event.

“It’s funny because my wife and I were just talking about World War II and that happened only 20 years before we were born, and for a lot of these kids it’s the same thing,” Blair said. “These young kids might not remember what that day was like 20 years ago, but they’re making sure we don’t forget it.”

Although the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks was somber and caused a few members in the audience to tear up, Mayor Millet urged people to remember Sept. 12, 2001, and the unity that was felt across the nation.

“It’s easy for us to love the people closest to us, and it’s easy for us to love the people we like,” Millet said. “I think our challenge and what I would ask all of you to do is try to start loving the people you don’t always agree with, the people that aren’t the closest to you and to look for opportunities to give grace to each other in this world. I think that’s how we’re going to have a legacy that changes the story of 9/11.”