U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- On Thursday, the U.S. Air Force Academy will honor those who lost their lives on and after September 11, 2001, with a memorial ceremony and a 19-hour cadet remembrance run around the Terrazzo.
The ceremony, commemorating 24 years since the attacks, begins at 4:30 p.m. near the Academy’s 9/11 Memorial. The memorial ceremony and remembrance run are closed to the public.
Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks, Academy Commandant of Cadets, will lead the memorial ceremony. Chaplain (Maj.) Richard Casey will open the ceremony with an invocation and Col. Marcus Corbett will offer keynote comments. Corbett has served for many years as a member of Security Forces across the Air Force and is currently working in the Academy’s Athletic Department. Academy Fire Chief Patrick Kraft will join to honor and represent 9/11 first responders. Marks, Casey, Corbett and Kraft will place memorial wreaths in front of the memorial. The event will conclude with the Cadet Wing saluting as the flag is lowered, and the national anthem is playing.
Following the ceremony, cadets in groups of three will start a 19-hour remembrance run, carrying a baton and firefighter’s helmet. They will run through the night until midmorning on Friday.
The purpose of the memorial ceremony is to help younger generations learn about the attacks, to tell the stories of the people we lost, and to share the spirit of courage, resilience, and resolve demonstrated by ordinary citizens, first responders, our military, and our international partners. The memorial was dedicated on Sept. 9, 2011, by the Class of 1976 as part of their 35th reunion class giving project. The memorial incorporates a piece of the World Trade Center and features two pieces of granite, representing the Twin Towers, atop a five-sided foundation that represents the Pentagon. The words, "World Trade Center," "The Pentagon" and "Shanksville, Pa." are etched onto the memorial.
September 11 is marked as a “National Day of Service and Remembrance” to honor the spirit of sacrifice made by first responders, members of the armed forces and community members in the days and years that followed the attacks.