09/11/2026
Twenty-five years ago our nation experienced a tragedy that changed us forever.
Today, we remember the 2,977+ lives taken in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. We remember their families and loved ones. We remember the first responders who ran toward danger, the countless people who answered the call to help in the days and months that followed, and those who continue to live with the lasting effects of that day.
Last night, members of Mount Jackson Town Council and Town staff joined neighbors from across Shenandoah County for the annual Valor Public Safety Awards, honoring first responders, public safety professionals, volunteers and citizens whose acts of courage and service have made a difference — and, in some cases, saved a life. We are grateful for those throughout our own community who answer that call every day.
On the eve of this anniversary, it was a poignant reminder of something September 11 taught an entire generation: our lives can change in an instant. And in those moments, we depend upon one another.
Some acts of service are extraordinary. Others will never receive an award or make the news. They are simply people showing up — helping a neighbor, comforting a stranger, answering a call, lending a hand, or doing what needs to be done because someone else needs them.
In the days after September 11, Americans came together in a way many of us still remember. There was grief and uncertainty, but there was also tremendous kindness, compassion, courage and a sense that we belonged to something larger than ourselves.
Twenty-five years later, perhaps one of the most meaningful ways we can honor those we lost is to carry that spirit forward. To look out for one another. To serve when we can. To be the neighbor who shows up. Not because we expect to be heroes. Simply because it is what neighbors do.
Today, the Town of Mount Jackson remembers all those whose lives were lost or forever changed on September 11, 2001, and all those whose service and sacrifice continued long after that day.
We remember. We honor. And may we never forget what we are capable of when we come together.
