DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – City officials apologized for playing a song during Fourth of July celebrations that was mixed with voiceovers of 911 calls from the Sept. 11 (search) terrorist attacks.
About 70,000 people had gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July when the song "God Bless the U.S.A." was played. The version had voices of people recorded during the terror attacks.
One voice on the mix said, "Oh my God, another plane has just hit." Another said, "Some of the casualties are in the collapsed building."
People at the celebrations said the mood of the night changed when the song was played.
"Everybody was in a really good mood, and all of a sudden this cloud of doom," said Siobhan Mangan. "It just seemed terribly inappropriate."
Vince Kendrick, the town's director of parks and recreation, took responsibility on behalf of city officials Tuesday in a written apology. He did not name the employee who put the song in the lineup.
"If it was Memorial Day, no one would have minded," Kendrick said.
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