What started out as a happy visit to the Pentagon in Arlington, Va.,
on Sept. 11, 2001, turned to a day of terror for the
Capellaro-Christoffersen family of Burbank.
More than 3,000 civilians, police officers, firefighters and
military personnel were killed that day when terrorists flew planes
into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City, the
Pentagon in Arlington, Va., and another plane, United Airlines flight
93, crashed in Pennsylvania before reaching its targeted position,
according to official speculation.
The Burbank family had gone to Washington, D.C., as guests of
Congressman Adam Schiff where they were to receive an award along
with other families from around the world for their efforts to create
loving families through the adoption process.
Karen Christoffersen and John Capellaro, along with their five
Russian-born adopted children, will be honored guests at a Memorial
Service presented by the Los Angeles Police Department Concert Band
on Sunday afternoon at the Hall of Liberty, Forest Lawn Hollywood
Hills.
The event's purpose is to remember and celebrate the lives of
those who died on what has become known familiarly as 9/11.
"As a treat for my children, because they're interested in the
military, I thought I'd take them to the Pentagon in the morning
before our tour of the Capitol," Christoffersen said. "We arrived
around 9 a.m. hoping to be one of the first to take the tour, but
about half an hour later we heard some commotion and then officers
came up and said 'get up and get out of here immediately.' "
Thinking that perhaps there'd been a bomb scare, they exited the
building along with other guests and were led to a parking lot.
There they saw the first sign that something catastrophic had
occurred as they watched billowing smoke roll over the Pentagon on
the opposite side from where they had been.
"It was quite a shock, quite an experience for everyone that was
there," she said. "We're very grateful that we were OK."
On Sunday, the program will consist of music and spoken words with
special guests including LAPD Chaplain the Rev. J. D. Webster, pastor
of the Westchester Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Deputy Sid
Bradshaw, chaplain of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept.; Los
Angeles Police Dept. Lead Chaplin Officer Ken Crawford; and Chaplain
Col. William Brunold, the senior pastor of the Burbank Lutheran
Church.
Musical Director Don Holcomb has been at the helm of this band for
17 years.
