Cathedral City couple to host 9/11 tribute with twin tower replica

A Cathedral City couple will honor the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost on September 11, 2001, while also teaching newer generations about the events that happened that day.

Pamela Diamond and Christopher Cerillo were in South Carolina when the attacks on the World Trade Center happened.

Cerillo was a Marine at the time and Diamond was visiting him.

The couple said they were set to visit New York that same week until the attack happened.

Now standing at 17-feet tall in their backyard is a replica of the two towers that once stood in New York City.

Since the attack, the couple has memorialized the horrific events of that day in their own way. They will display the replica in their front yard with two towers of light reflected into the night sky.

There will be a piece of steel the couple said was part of the North Tower on display.

There will also be memorials and names of those who were on the airplanes during the attacks and of first responders who passed away trying to save lives.

While the couple wasn't in New York City when the attack happened, like many across the country the events are etched into their minds.

“It was a really dark day. It was a really sad day. And it just. The silence was overwhelming. I don’t think anyone can really realize, just, it’s like everything just came to a stop.” said Cerillo.

The memorial will be on Avenida Maravilla in Cathedral City. The couple said just follow the tower of lights to find their home.

They said it will be on display from when the sun begins going down to about 10 p.m.