09/11/2026
Twenty-five years ago, September 11 changed the course of our nation. Today, I want to recognize those whose response was to stand up and serve.
Across America, people walked into their local recruiting offices knowing that military service could mean going to war. They stepped away from familiar lives and plans for the future, raised their right hands, and volunteered to confront an enemy that wore no uniform and a conflict with no clear finish line.
Over the next twenty years, that commitment meant repeated deployments, missed birthdays, empty seats at holiday tables, and goodbyes that never got easier. For some, it meant wounds both visible and unseen. For others, it meant never coming home. Families carried the weight, too, through long separations, uncertainty, caregiving, and grief that continues long after a war ends.
To our veteran community: thank you for answering the call, for your courage, and for the personal sacrifices so many will never fully understand. To your spouses, children, parents, and loved ones: thank you for all you carried alongside them. Your sacrifices deserve recognition beyond any single anniversary.
And to our first responders: thank you for always running toward danger when others are seeking safety. Your willingness to put yourselves between your neighbors and harm remains a daily act of service.
As we mark this anniversary, may our gratitude be more than words. May it show in how we care for those who served, support their families, and stand beside those still carrying the cost.
Benjamin Schwartfigure
Executive Director
