MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- As the nation marks 25 years since September 11, 2001, many are spending the day honoring the lives of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the tragedy.

On Friday morning, dozens of city leaders and community members gathered at Milwaukee's War Memorial Center next to the eternal flame for the annual remembrance event.

Officials shared memories of loved ones impacted and placed wreaths on a steel beam recovered from ground zero of the World Trade Center. 

"Some of the memories feel like they're 25 years ago and some of them feel like they're yesterday," said Paul Smith, a retired captain of the New York Fire Department. "I'm thrilled to be here and to have been invited to participate in today's remembrance, it means a lot to me."

Smith said something incredibly important to him is making sure that future generations know the day's history.

"There's any number of ways to remember it, I just hope that people do remember it," Smith said. "It lets me know that people haven't forgotten."

For Vietnam veterans like Jose Ruiz, showing up Friday was something he couldn't miss.

"I'm here to acknowledge the sacrifice of the people in the towers and on the planes that went down," Ruiz said. "I just love the country, I love America, and I love what everything stands for."

Ruby Scheuing, another veteran, said she still recalls where she was when the news broke.

"I remember that at the time I worked at a middle school and I went into the planning room and they had the TV on, and it was like, oh my gosh, what happened," Scheuing said.

Sgt. Michael Kolbach, who works for the Hartford Police Dept. and is a member of the color guard, said he was honored to have attended the event.

"It's a big deal for all of us just to be able to be involved in the remembrance," Sgt. Kolbach said. "Just remembering the sacrifice that everyone made that day and making sure that their memory lives on."