People lined Dorr Road and Grand River Avenue, saluting and waving flags as the Sept. 11 Memorial procession made its way to the Brighton Fire Station on Saturday morning.

Michael O'Brian, Brighton Area Fire Department fire marshal, expressed surprise at the amount of people present for the end of the procession.

"We didn't expect to do this in front of a crowd," he said, as the crane began putting the piece of steel in place.

In his address to the crowd, Brighton Area Fire Department Chief Larry Larson stressed the importance of never forgetting Sept. 11, 2001.

“We can’t forget the people who lost their lives there … we need to remember them forever,” Larson said.

Brighton Area firefighter Gary Mowbray reiterated the solemn promise that "we shall never forget.”

A dedication ceremony for the new memorial is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday at Brighton Area Fire Station 31 in downtown Brighton. A large crowd is expected and a section of Grand River Avenue will be closed, so organizers are recommending people arrive by 8 a.m.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that members of Rolling Thunder participated in the procession to Fire Station 31, as it was not an official club sanctioned event.