09/11/2026
🕯️ Remembering September 11, 2001
Today marks 25 years since our nation experienced one of the darkest days in its history. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that morning; mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, neighbors, and friends whose absence is still felt by families and communities across the country.
Among them were hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and paramedics who ran toward danger instead of away from it, giving everything they had in an effort to save others. Many first responders who survived that day have carried the physical and emotional toll of their service for the past quarter-century, and some continue to lose their battle with illnesses tied to their time at Ground Zero. Their sacrifice didn't end on September 11. For many, it has lasted a lifetime. 🙏
In the years that followed, countless Americans answered a call to service they might never have otherwise heard by enlisting in the military, joining fire departments, or becoming police officers and emergency medical technicians, inspired by the courage they witnessed that day. To those who chose that path in the shadow of tragedy, and to those who continue to serve our communities and country today: thank you. 🎖️🚒👮
25 years later, Ottumwa joins others across the nation in remembering those we lost, honoring those who responded with selfless courage, and recognizing that their legacy lives on in the service of others. As a reminder, there will be a remembrance ceremony at 9 a.m. this morning at City Hall, located at 105 East Third Street, by the flag pole. The flag pole is on the Fourth Street side.
We will never forget.
