09/11/2026
Good morning, everyone.
Today, we gather not simply to remember a date in our nation's history, but to remember the people whose lives were forever changed on September 11, 2001.
Twenty-five years ago, our nation awoke to an unimaginable tragedy. In a matter of hours, thousands of innocent lives were taken, families were changed forever, and the United States was reminded of both the fragility of life and the extraordinary courage of those willing to stand in harm's way for others.
For the Selinsgrove Borough Police Department, September 11 holds a special meaning.
We remember the 343 firefighters and 23 police officers of the New York City Police Department who made the ultimate sacrifice that morning. We remember the Port Authority Police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, military members, and countless civilians who ran toward danger when others were desperately trying to escape it.
They did not stop to ask who needed help.
They did not stop to consider the personal cost.
They simply answered the call.
That is the essence of a police officer, a firefighter, a first responder, and every person who chooses a life of service.
The badge is more than a symbol. It represents a promise—a promise to protect, to serve, to stand with our community, and to help others in their darkest moments.
On September 11, that promise was tested beyond anything our nation had ever experienced. And the men and women who answered that call demonstrated a courage that will never be forgotten.
We also remember those who survived.
We remember the responders who spent days, weeks, and months searching through the ruins.
We remember those who returned home carrying memories and burdens that would remain with them for the rest of their lives.
And we remember the families who lost husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends.
For them, September 11 is not history.
It is personal.
As members of the Selinsgrove Borough Police Department, we recognize that our profession comes with risks that are sometimes impossible to predict. We know that every shift begins with the possibility that we may be called upon to face something dangerous so that someone else does not have to.
The events of September 11 remind us why that responsibility matters.
They remind us that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is recognizing the danger and moving forward anyway because someone needs you.
Today, we honor the fallen by remembering their names, their families, their sacrifice, and the example they left behind.
But remembrance must be more than words.
We honor them when we serve our communities with integrity.
We honor them when we treat people with dignity.
We honor them when we stand beside a fellow officer, firefighter, or first responder.
We honor them when we answer the call, no matter how difficult that call may be.
And we honor them when we never forget that behind every badge is a human being—a person with a family, friends, hopes, and a life outside of the uniform.
Twenty-five years have passed, but the lessons of September 11 remain.
We will remember the lives lost.
We will remember the heroes who ran toward danger.
We will remember the families left behind.
We will remember the unity that followed.
And we will remember the responsibility that comes with wearing a badge and serving others.
On behalf of the Selinsgrove Borough Police Department, we offer our deepest respect to every person who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001, and to every family that continues to carry their loss.
May we never forget their courage.
May we never forget their sacrifice.
And may we never forget.
September 11, 2001.
We remember. We honor. We serve.
