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While commemorations in New York and Washington, D.C., drew national attention, National Guardsmen in several states held or participated in activities Friday that brought local focus to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The events included ceremonies, relay races and multiple flybys over football games.
In Nevada, Army Maj. Gen. D. Rodger Waters (above), the state’s adjutant general, joined community leaders, Navy personnel, veterans and Fallon residents to mark the 25th anniversary of the day that changed the nation.
Serving as guest speaker, Waters honored the 2,977 people killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. He also paid tribute to the first responders, service members and civilians whose actions remain enduring examples of courage and selflessness.
“America’s strength comes not only from our weapons, but also from the indomitable spirit, unity and shared purpose of our people,” Waters said.
In Massachusetts, the 104th Fighter Wing held a memorial ceremony and relay at Barnes Air Force Base in Westfield, linking the events of Sept. 11 to the wing’s mission today.
“Look around this wing. Look at our mission. Look at the security measures we follow. Look at the way we train,” Chief Master Sgt. Michael Gardner, the wing command chief, told attendees. “Every one of us was shaped by [that fateful day], and every one of us inherited a responsibility from it.”
At 8:46 a.m., two F-35A Lightning IIs launched in a timed scramble honoring the F-15 Eagle fighters scrambled on Sept. 11, 2001.
Ten teams of six Airmen competed in the relay, with each participant running a half mile. Staff Sgt. Amber Riddle, president of the 104th Fighter Wing’s Rising 6, said the distance carried meaning beyond the competition.
“The three-mile relay was held in remembrance of Stephen Siller, a firefighter with the Fire Department of the City of New York, who ran nearly three miles through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in his firefighting gear to answer the call at the World Trade Center,” she said.
Siller did not return home that day.
In North Carolina, a single bell rang at 8:46 a.m. at the North Carolina National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, marking the moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower 25 years earlier.
Soldiers, Airmen, first responders, families, state leaders and community members gathered around the Minuteman Statue to remember that day and its lasting impact.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein reflected on those who became heroes during one of the nation’s darkest moments — from those who ran toward danger to ordinary Americans who supported those around them.
“In one of our nation’s darkest hours, we were not alone,” Stein said.
In Indiana, four Indiana Air Guard F-16 Fighting Falcons conducted 10 flyovers Friday over high-school football games across northeastern Indiana within a three-minute window.
The flyovers, followed by moments of silence, occurred at 7 p.m. before kickoff at 10 area high school football games.
And in Utah, five pairs of Utah Army Guard AH-64E Apache attack helicopters took turns conducting flybys over 29 high-school football games.
“Operation Friday Night Flights is more than an aviation training event,” said Lt. Col. Robert Heightman, the commander of the 1st Attack Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment. “It is a statewide expression of remembrance — honoring 9/11 through unity, service and precision — a reminder that 25 years later, we are still united in gratitude, resilience and love of country."
—Compiled from state press releases
