The Chicago fire commissioner also attended the event at Hines VA Hospital and said he believes that Osama bin Laden's killing is a victory.
"We're never going to be away from that threat, we know that. What goes around comes around is what I believe. Again, it's mixed emotions. But most importantly, I think we have to never forget whether it's the firefighters from 9/11, the police officers from 9/11, the paramedics from 9/11, or our veterans who have throughout history kept us living the way we live," said CFD Commissioner Robert Hoff.
The fire commissioner joined Chicago police and New York firefighters in a stitching ceremony to restore the 9/11 flag, which was destroyed when the Twin Towers collapsed nearly 10 years ago.
The New York Says Thank You Foundation is on tour with the flag to all 50 states, where heroes have the privilege of stitching it back to its original 13-stripe format. Once it is fully restored, it will become part of the permanent collection of the National September 11 Memorial Museum.
The Hines event had been planned for two months, long before bin Laden was killed.
"It's closure for a lot of people. We were putting the flag back together before we even got him. I'm just happy, I personally am happy for the family members that they feel a little bit more closure," said Jimmy Sands, New York firefighter.
Several players from the Chicago White Sox also put stitches into the flag and visited veterans.
