CHULA VISTA – The image of the teary-eyed, soft-spoken girl asking for his autograph will stay with firefighter David Albright forever.
It was only days after Sept. 11, and his urban search and rescue team was spending its last night in New York at Yankee Stadium. There, surrounded by baseball superstars like Derek Jeter, this blond-haired, blue-eyed girl handed him a ball to sign.
Her mother, she explained, was lost when the first tower fell. Albright and some other county firefighters had worked with search crews there.
"She said she couldn't get near ground zero, so she wanted something that had been closer to her mother's soul than she'll ever be," Albright said. "It's just one of those things you could write a script about."
Albright was one of several who offered a local perspective on the terrorist attacks and the days after during a service yesterday at Memorial Park. The midday event also featured music, prayers and a release of doves.
"I thought it was wonderful," said Ellen Hosley, a Chula Vista resident who sat under an umbrella patterned after the American flag. "I think we all needed this as a community. It helps with closure."
Throughout the South County, cities, organizations, schools and churches took time to remember those who perished one year ago.
First Congregational Church in National City was scheduled to hold a two-hour prayer and music ceremony. McMillin Elementary School in Chula Vista, which opened a week before the attacks last year, held a patriotic assembly during which students recited poems written by New York City students.
Imperial Beach is scheduled to host a Public Safety Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Pier Plaza.
At Chula Vista's Memorial Park, people of all ages filled the outdoor theater and scattered in the grass. Many were moved to tears during the service, especially as Albright told his story.
The seven-year veteran said there were numerous tales from his 10 days at the World Trade Center site. He worked for 12 to 14 hours a day with little food and even less sleep, looking for survivors and recovering the bodies of victims from the debris.
"The experience was amazing and something I'll never forget," Albright said. "I still think about it. It kind of seems surreal."
Others spoke of their roles as police, fire and military personnel in the days since Sept. 11.
"It's not just a job," said firefighter Lisa Kelley. "It's who we are."
Chula Vista Mayor Shirley Horton read a poem written by a city resident the day after the attacks. The poem asked why these types of things happen.
"It was very meaningful and appropriate for the day," Horton said.
Horton also returned an American flag found under the debris of the North Tower in New York to the aircraft carrier John C Stennis. The ship carried the flag during its deployment and it had been brought to the ceremony by a retired veteran.
A teary-eyed Henri Harb said afterward she was moved by the service.
"This was very touching," she said. "I take it to heart."
Amy Oakes: (619) 498-6633; amy.oakes@uniontrib.com
