The solemnity of September 11 was marked by the Marysville Fire District and police department as they paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center along with the loss of one of their own.

Fellow firefighter Jeff Thornton lost his batter with cancer on that same fateful day, and his loss continues to be mourned by colleagues and the community as a whole.

Members of the police and fire departments, along with city officials and residents, met in front of the police and fire memorial at the Marysville Public Library Friday morning. At precisely 8:46 a.m., the

Marysville Fire District's Honor Guard presented the colors and, following in a tradition of the New York Fire Department, chimed a bell five times, the signal for the loss of a firefighter. After the last bell tolled, a lone trumpeter's rendition of "Taps" cut through the morning air, eloquently defining the emotional tone.

Jerry Thornton, father of the fallen firefighter, said, "The family is honored that Jeff is remembered this day."

Jeff Thornton was an active fire department representative who was known as "Firefighter Jeff" to the children of Marysville, thanks to his involvement in school fire safety presentations.

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