09/10/2021
On behalf of LTG White and CSM Burgoyne, below and attached is the III Corps - September 11, Patriot Day Message:
Teammates, Families, and Friends,
September 11 of this year marks the 20-year anniversary of terrorist attacks that killed 2,978 innocent people and injured more than 6,000 others at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 carried out our Nation’s first effective action against the terrorists, but America’s response did not stop in the Pennsylvania skies. As first responders and rescue crews were still working through wreckage and rubble, Americans of all backgrounds came forward to commit themselves to the defense of our country. As those first days gave way to years of conflict and sacrifice, hundreds of thousands – indeed millions – of Patriots have volunteered to do the same.
On December 18, 2001, President George W. Bush signed Public Law 107-89, designating September 11 as Patriot Day. While originally legislated as a national day to remember those who died in the terrorist attacks, the meaning and significance of Patriot Day has evolved the past 20 years. Against a backdrop of war and honorable service by volunteers at home and abroad, additional legislation and executive orders have come to frame Patriot Day as an occasion for Americans to remember and, similarly, to recommit themselves to protecting their fellow Americans and our Nation itself.
This September 11, we ask you all to pause for a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. EDT, the minute the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. As we fly the flag at half-staff on Patriot Day, please remember those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks, as well as those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while bringing the fight to terrorists ever since. Similarly, we encourage each of you to reflect on your own honorable service and the significance your service bears on the security of our country.
We want to recognize and thank all our Soldiers, Veterans, Retirees, Civilians, Family members, and Gold Star Families for their dedication and sacrifice over the last two decades. In light of recent events, it is understandable that many of our Veterans and Gold Star Families can find it hard to commemorate Patriot Day this year. Please know you are not alone: now is the time to remember those that have fallen, to connect and reconnect with each other, and to recommit to the reasons we volunteer and serve.
God Bless each of you, your Families, and this great Nation!