PALM HARBOR, Fla. — A 9/11 memorial in Palm Harbor stands year-round in remembrance of the lives lost and the heroes who rushed toward danger.
On Friday, thousands gathered there to mark 25 years since the attacks — and for some survivors, those memories remain just as stark.
WATCH BELOW: Palm Harbor marks 25 years since 9/11
Genelle Guzman-McMillan was the last survivor pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center, rescued after being trapped for 27 hours.
"I remember the sound. I remember the darkness. I remember the dust," Guzman-McMillan said while recounting her experience.
Guzman-McMillan says she thinks about these memories every day and has chosen to live out her life and grow her faith to honor the memories of those who did not get to come home.
"I have the scars to show that you know I've been through it all, and I keep pushing myself forward each day just holding on to my faith and my strength to move forward," Guzman-McMillan said.
Other survivors told Tampa Bay 28 their memories are just as clear.
"I can close my eyes and recount every turn I made, which elevator I went into. There were about nine bodies that I went through," survivor Greg Amira said.
Former New York firefighter Rich Miccio was among the first responders who ran toward the danger that day. He described the days, months, even years that followed the collapse of the towers — what responders called "the pile."
"We were there from probably 10 a.m. till midnight, 1 a.m., searching, and my groups that were working were back the very next morning. We were on a schedule that we would work 24 hours on and then 24 hours off, and we would work on the 'pile,'" Miccio said.
Friday's ceremony in Palm Harbor featured tributes, speeches, and prayers praising unity, hope, conviction and courage — honoring Americans who rushed to the sides of those they didn't even know on Sept. 11, 2001. A new generation was also present, with younger attendees pledging to carry the stories of that day forward and never forget.
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