On the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 11, Lakeville first responders stood at attention during a ceremony remembering the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001

However, according to Lakeville Fire Chief Michael O’Brien, many of those first responders were either too young to remember, or weren’t alive to have experienced the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

As a first responder these celebrations hold a level of importance for O'Brien, especially for passing on the knowledge he has learned about coming together to the younger generations.

"It's an honor, it's something that I should want to do. It's not a burden, it's something that I take on with enthusiasm," said O'Brien. "It's about communicating what's important to people who weren't even alive or too young to remember the events."

One of the most important lessons O'Brien wants the younger generation to understand is the way people came together, not the violence.

"It's important that we maintain that culture and that tradition and hand it down to the future generations and hopefully that's their only knowledge they have of what our nation is capable of," said O'Brien. "Hopefully they don't have to be put to the test as we were and as our fathers and mothers were in World War II."

While some may not remember 9/11, others do including State Representative for 12th Bristol District, Norman Orrall.

Orrall recalls that Wednesday’s weather was very similar to the same day 23 years ago when he was working in his Rhode Island engineering office. He learned of the attacks when a coworker had a call drop while on the phone with a client in the world trade center.

"Somebody had a radio on with the news and there was a plane crash and we all assumed it was an accident, then the second [plane] hit," said Orrall. "We started looking out the windows of our office because we were wondering if they were going to attack here. I think for most Americans that's the way everyone felt for even a year. You never knew when it was going to attack."

For everyone, whether they remember it or not, O'Brien wants them to understand why it is important to recognize what happened today.

"The thing that we strive to honor today is what people sacrificed that day, not just the first responders but the average citizens who were thrust into crisis without any notice,." said O'Brien. "What we also celebrate is how we responded to that attack. We all elevated our behavior, our spirit and we all united and rose to the task we were presented with. It's the best of who we are as a people and a nation and it's worthy of our celebration."