Nation to mark Patriot Day with tributes

Chief petty officers and chief petty officer selects assigned to Navy Information Operation Command and Maritime Expeditionary Security Force at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado run 11 miles on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to honor the victims of the attacks. Chiefs and chief selects from both commands have come together on Patriot’s Day for the past six years to run on Silver Strand Beach.

Patriot Day honors the memory of the nearly 3,000 victims who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon, the World Trade Center and in a field in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. The national observance also recognizes the courage of the first responders and service members who served in the wake of the attacks. 

Many troops participate in memorial events, ceremonies and runs across the country and at bases worldwide to mark the significance. 

For instance, the 270-mile Race for Remembrance – 9/11 Tribute Run from Sept. 8 – 11. The run starts in Arlington, Virginia, and finishes in New York City. 

U.S. Army soldiers from the XVIII Airborne Corps render a 21-gun salute during a 9/11 remembrance ceremony held on Fort Liberty, North Carolina, Sept. 11, 2024. The ceremony honored the lives of the nearly 3,000 people who died during the September 11, 2001, attacks on our nation. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kamar Williams).

The September 11th National Memorial Trail is a 1,500-mile, multiuse route that links the Sept. 11 memorial in New York City, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. 

The trail traverses abandoned railroads, trails, rural roads, greenways and canal towpaths that can be walked, hiked and cycled. It is also accessible for people with disabilities. 

The Navy honored the victims of the attacks by naming three amphibious transport dock ships the USS New York, USS Arlington and USS Somerset. The bow stem of the USS New York is made of 7.5 tons of steel recovered from ground zero. 

SAN DIEGO (Sept. 11, 2015) Sailors aboard guided-missile cruiser USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) participate in a 9/11 tribute. The ceremony honored those who lost their lives in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and subsequent armed conflicts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Phil Ladouceur/Released)

After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. military experienced a significant increase in recruitment as many who had not previously considered joining were eager to serve.  

Today, many service members were not born or are too young to remember the attacks. 

U.S. Air Force Capt. Grant Arnold, 375th Air Mobility Command, chaplain, renders an invocation on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Sept. 11, 2024. Attendees bowed their heads and remained silent for the prayer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daisy Quevedo)