ALBANY, Ore. -- The American Legion Post 10 and Linn County held a 17th anniversary memorial event for 9/11 Tuesday morning at the Linn County Courthouse in Albany.

The ceremony began at 8:46 a.m., the same time American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center September 11, 2001. 

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Every year, the event includes a reading of the victims’ names and a 21-gun salute. 

The ceremony was open to the public and everyone had the chance to hear firsthand experiences from that day.

David Solomon, a former New York city EMT who was among many 9/11 first responders, planned to attend.

“After all these years people are forgetting," Solomon said. "I went to a couple of different school kids, and the kids -- I asked them, 'Do you know what 9/11 is?' and they said, 'No.' They do not teach it in the schools ... and I don’t want them to forget."

Solomon also said he feels it’s his duty to make sure that everyone remembers that day, for both the victims and their families.