3,123 flags planted in Fullerton to remember 9/11

FULLERTON – Each flag planted represented a life lost, a flame extinguished.

On shaded dirt plot outside Eastside Christian Church, about a dozen church volunteers endured the sweltering heat Sunday to erect more than 3,100 flags – one for each person who died Sept. 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa.

The patriotic memorial, on Yorba Linda Boulevard opposite Cal State Fullerton, features 2,900 American flags, plus 223 flags representing 40 other nations – all spaced six inches apart.

A sign above the flags invites passersby to Eastside Christian Church's 10th anniversary community memorial service.

A total of 2,996 people died in the 9/11 attacks, including the hijackers, and federal officials say more than 90 nations lost citizens.

The memorial project has been about two months in the making. Church leaders came up with the idea after hearing about a church on the East Coast that erected 3,000 crosses to honor 9/11 victims, said church spokeswoman Jan Lynn.

Volunteers began planning for the memorial a few weeks ago. Church member Brian Pendarvis, an engineer from Fullerton, used the computer design program AutoCAD to map out the 28-foot-by-28-foot site.

Early Sunday, volunteers laid white string across the site in a cross-hatch pattern and nailed it into the dirt, creating a template for where to place the flags. Holes were created in the dirt using power drills, and the flags were erected one at a time and tapped into place using mallets. All of the international flags were placed front and center.

The $2,600 project, at Yorba Linda Boulevard and Almira Avenue, will be lit at night by floodlights. Church officials plan to leave it up for about two weeks, until shortly after the 9/11 anniversary.

On Sept. 10 and 11, Eastside will host five services to remember and reflect on the 9/11 attacks. Each service will feature a speech by retired New York City firefighter Joe Finley, who assisted with 9/11 rescue efforts.

Local fire and police agencies have been invited to the service.

The services will focus on the theme, "When Your World Is Rocked," about dealing with tragedy. They will supplant the church's regular services and are part of an annual effort by the nondenominational, evangelical Christian church to attract non-members from across the community, Lynn said.

Eastside Christian Church's 9/11 services are at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sept. 10, and 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 11.