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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Nearly 1,000 people gathered at America the Beautiful Park in downtown Coloardo Springs Sunday morning to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter served as the master of ceremonies. He reminded the crowd that not only was 9/11 a day of tragedy, but also a day when Americans united as a beacon of freedom.

"Every day in those 10 years," he said, "we need to understand our place in history and responsibility to the people around the world that we remain that beacon."

Among the community leaders that attended the citizen-lead ceremony, including Mayor Steve Bach and Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, was General Charles Jacoby, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command. He shared his memory of working at the Pentagon on 9/11 and said the events have spurred the "emergence of the next greatest generation of Americans."

"We have demonstrated our character as a nation," Jacoby said. "Today, on this anniversary, we remind our enemies of what we will defend."

Though the solemn ceremony served as a reminder of the tragic events of 9/11, it also brought attention to the importance of American freedom.

"It is a time to honor our military and think about what our freedom really means," El Paso County Commisioner Amy Lathen said.

Tegan Chambon, a Holmes Middle School student and one of the winners of an essay contest, was only 3 years old on Sept. 11, 2011. While she does not remember that day, she said the events are a part of American history that she hopes her generation never forgets.

"For my generation, when we are suddenly in charge of Air Force and Air Space," Chambon said, "we really need to be able to remember our history so that we don't just throw caution to the wind.

Several local firefighters and police officers were among those in attendance Sunday. Including Peter Ringen, who helped with the recovery and clean-up efforts at Ground Zero following the deadly attacks in New York. He said the citizen-lead ceremony was a somber, yet joyful event.

"I just want to make sure that we honor our brothers and sisters and the ultimate sacrifice they gave," Ringen said.

Crew members from United and American Airlines also attended. First Officer Matt Gaebler, a pilot for American Airlines, said it was an honor to be a part of the ceremony.

"It's a very powerful day and it was a wonderful ceremony to honor not just the flight crews, but all the victims, the thousands of victims, of this day 10 years ago," Gaebler said.

At the close of the ceremony, two F-16's with the Colorado Air National Guard at Buckley Air Force Base flew over the park while the Cheyenne Mountain Shadows Chorale sang "America the Beautiful."