The nation changed forever on September 11, 2001. Many Americans remember a country before and a country after, and for many young Americans, only a country after. Terrorist attacks causing tragic loss of life at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in sight of the nation’s capital, and a quiet field in southern Pennsylvania led to conversations and reflection on American identity, patriotism, security, and service that resonate today.
For months following September 11, people came together to grieve family, friends, and strangers. Exactly 25 years later, we still do. Sometimes called “Patriots Day” or “Day of Remembrance,” September 11 has become an annual day for many Americans to remember, reflect, honor, and mourn. Many loved ones of the nearly 3,000 people killed will join dignitaries and politicians at commemorations in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, PA. Others choose to mark the day at more intimate gatherings.
Please see the 25th Anniversary 9/11 flyer elsewhere in this issue for a local 9/11 25th Anniversary remembrance at St. John XXIII Catholic Church in Fort Myers.
