New additions come to 9/11 memorial in Clovis to mark 20th anniversary of attack

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds of large American flags fly atop flagpoles along Never Forget Lane in Clovis.

The 20th Memorial Anniversary Ceremony took place as an in-person event on Saturday with many additions to the memorial.

"Well, it's so vivid and so thoughtfully and lovingly rendered," says Marry Reddy. "I mean, every little detail, they've thought about and they've even included everyone. Not every person but every group that made a sacrifice on that particular day."

Every year, the Valley comes together to honor the nearly 3,000 people who died on 9/11.

RELATED: List of 9/11 memorial events taking place across the Central Valley

This year, they broke ground on phase two of the expansion.

Reddy and her family-in-laws visited from New York City to see the new statue honoring her sister, NYPD Officer Moira Smith.

She was the first police officer to call in attacks to headquarters and the only female first responder to have lost her life that day, helping thousands of people exit the towers to safety.

"It has very much honored my sister and my family is humbled by it," Mary said. "I had to come out to see it. She was my baby sister. She was the life to the party. She would have been very humbled but loved it."

Among many other additions, they've added a monument symbolizing civilians heroes of Flight 93, three life-size bronze statues including a military personnel and a wounded warrior and his dog.

Also, In 2020, the national 9/11 Memorial in New York city gifted the memorial in Fresno a sapling survivor tree, the last living thing pulled from ground zero.

RELATED: September 11, 2001 news coverage: From Ground Zero to New York's exodus

Fresno's police chief says seeing this memorial is sobering. He says it hits home for him.

He remembers being a young police officer in Oklahoma City, just two years on the force in 2001.

"One great thing that I remember just afterward was how this country came together and at that point, there were really no affiliations," he said. "We were just all Americans. It didn't matter if you were a Republican or Democrat or whatever else. We were just here to support one another so we can get through this difficult time."