09/11/2026
Twenty-five years ago, September 11th became one of those dates we would never forget.
For those who lived through that day, many can tell you exactly where they were when they first heard something was wrong. Maybe you were at work. Maybe you were getting your children ready for school. Maybe you were sitting in a classroom yourself. Maybe you remember gathering around a television with coworkers, family or friends, watching events unfold and struggling to make sense of what we were seeing.
The feelings from that day are still difficult to put into words.
But, we also remember what came afterward. We remember the bravery of first responders who ran toward danger. We remember strangers helping strangers. We remember communities coming together, checking on neighbors, flying flags and finding strength in one another.
Today, 25 years later, many in our community were not yet born on September 11, 2001. For them, 9/11 is something learned through photographs, videos, classrooms and the stories of parents and grandparents.
That is one reason remembering matters.
Here in Smithfield, we pause today to honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives, the families who carried that loss forward, the first responders who answered the call, and the men and women who served our country in the years that followed.
For those who remember that day firsthand, take a moment to share your story with someone who does not. Tell them where you were. Tell them what you remember. Tell them why we still pause.
Twenty-five years later, we remember…and will never forget.
