09/11/2026
Twenty-five years ago today, our nation changed forever.
For those of us who lived through September 11, there are moments from that day that remain remarkably vivid. Where we were. Who we were with. The images we saw. The people we called. The uncertainty about what would come next.
Today, we honor the memory of those who lost their lives, remember the families whose lives changed in an instant and honor the extraordinary courage of those who ran toward danger to help others.
For many in our military community, what followed became deeply personal. September 11 became a call to serve. Service members deployed around the world. Federal and local law enforcement officers worked to protect our nation at home and pursue those responsible. Spouses held families together through long deployments and uncertainty. Children grew up with a parent serving far from home. And for some families, there was a knock at the door that changed everything.
The impact of that service and sacrifice is still with us 25 years later. We see it in our Gold Star families. In veterans who carry the lasting effects of war. In military spouses and children who sacrificed alongside them. And in a generation whose lives were shaped by the decision to serve our country after September 11.
We remember them with gratitude and respect. But remembrance also carries responsibility.
Gratitude must be more than words. We honor service through what we do for those who served and the families who stood beside them.
There is much more work to do. And we will continue listening, showing up and using our voice on behalf of those we are privileged to serve.
On this 25th anniversary, we should remember not only what happened on September 11, 2001, but what followed: the service, the sacrifice, the empty seats at family tables, the homecomings and the millions of lives forever shaped by that day.
To every member who answered the nation’s call, every family who served alongside them, and every veteran who carries that experience: thank you.
We remember. And we will never forget.