Those on board the USS Midway paid tribute today to the first responder victims of the deadly terror attacks on 9/11.
The bell rang for each of the 441 names of the first responders who lost their lives in the tragedy.
Dozens lined up to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, even if they didn't know them.
Many people on board the USS Midway say they remember exactly where they were the morning of 9/11.
“I was actually teaching the academy and all of a sudden everything stopped,” said Ron Edrozo, who was with Task Force 8 in the response at Ground Zero.
And now, 24 years later, the community honored the lives lost in the tragedy.
San Diego first responders say it still feels like it was yesterday.
“We were told we're on standby, get ready to get in there, so we, we all got our equipment together and made sure we had everything ready, and within 5 days we were gone. You know, you, you train a lot, you do a lot of training, and you hope that training is gonna prepare you for, for the worst. But until you see the worst, I mean, there's no way you can prepare,” said Edrozo.
Edrozo says the aftermath was like nothing he had ever seen.
“Unbelievable. Couldn't imagine that much destruction. To see New York City in that chaos, there’s absolutely no words for it. You had to see it, you had to experience it, you had to go ‘Oh my God this isn't real,” said Edrozo.
The rest of the ceremony also included a helicopter flyover, 21 21-gun salute, and the playing of Taps.
“I mean, when I come to this thing here and I think about where we had to climb into and where we had to get out of and the things that happened and what we had to do- I just hope nobody else ever has to do this,” said Edrozo.
