“Never forget.” We see and hear these words every year on September 11, calling us to remember when Islamic terrorists crashed into the twin towers and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 Americans.
I am among the approximately 100 million Americans today who were not yet born when this tragedy occurred. As the years go on, fewer and fewer people telling the story will have any lived memory of it. Yet, we must never forget. We must continue to tell the story. The awful experience of 9/11 was seared into the memories of the first responders, the victims and their families, and the Americans watching on television. For many of us now, that memory makes its mark through the books we read in history class, articles posted online, stories told by family and friends, and songs like “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” by Alan Jackson.
While flags fly half-mast and we pause to reflect, our youngest Americans have little idea what this day is even about. As we see more and more rewriting of history, commandeering of education for political purposes, and misinformation slung on the internet, this is one story we cannot allow to be rewritten. This is one story that should never be twisted by partisan politics. It must be told honestly, accurately, and clearly.
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, people boarded four California-bound flights: American 11 and United 175 from Boston, American 77 from Dulles, United 93 from Newark. Nineteen al-Qaeda hijackers were on board with knives and a plan to use the planes as weapons to severely harm the United States of America.
At 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center between floors 93 and 99. For a few minutes it looked like a terrible accident. At 9:03 a.m., Flight 175 hit the South Tower between floors 77 and 85. The second impact was live on television. America understood it was under attack.
Inside the towers, civilians walked down the stairs. Firefighters walked up. Police and Port Authority officers tried to empty the buildings. Some people above the impact zones could not get out.
At 9:37 a.m., Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Everyone on the plane died, along with 125 people inside the building. Civilian airspace was shut down. The sky went quiet.
On Flight 93, passengers learned by phone what had happened. They voted, prayed, and charged the cockpit. At 10:03 a.m. the plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. All 40 passengers and crew were killed. The plane never reached its intended target in Washington.
At 9:59 a.m. the South Tower collapsed. At 10:28 a.m. the North Tower fell. Lower Manhattan disappeared into dust and steel.
The attacks killed 2,977 people, not counting the hijackers: 2,753 at the World Trade Center, including 343 FDNY firefighters, 37 Port Authority officers, and 23 NYPD officers; 184 at the Pentagon; 40 on Flight 93. The youngest victim was two. The oldest was 85. Identification of remains continues even to this day with approximately 40% of the victims unidentified. Thousands more were later sickened by the dust and debris.
In his 2026 Patriot Day proclamation, Governor Dunleavy urges Alaskans to honor 9/11 by “recommitting to live in the spirit of unity and compassion that binds us together as Americans.” We have witnessed that spirit of unity and compassion erode into a culture of division, spite, and contempt, particularly online. From both sides of the political spectrum, I have seen unwarranted attacks, vicious language, and even violence against each other. That kind of conduct is un-American. Plain and simple.
We must remember the facts of what happened on 9/11, and we must also remember the virtues shown by the Americans who united not around a political objective, but around each other. The courage, the fortitude, the self-sacrifice, the shared grief, the compassion, the patriotism.
I don’t know what it felt like to watch that fatal moment on television or stand at the wreckage or grieve a loved one murdered by terrorists. And as time goes on, more and more Americans will be in my shoes, handing down a memory we never lived. But that makes it all the more important to continue to pause, reflect, and remember 9/11. Experience is not easy to forget, but words on a page or a screen can fly right through your mind. Remembering becomes an active, individual choice.
If you remember where you were when the world stop turning on 9/11, tell someone about it today. If you were not yet born, read about it. Even if you have already read about it, read it again. Pause. Reflect. Honor. Never forget.
9/11 Commemorations in Alaska
Anchorage
Alaska Veterans Museum — Free commemorative day
411 W. 4th Ave., Suite 2A (Sunshine Building), downtown Anchorage
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Free admission all day in memory of those lost on 9/11. The volunteer-run museum covers Alaska military history from the Civil War through recent conflicts, with artifacts and oral histories. Regular admission is otherwise $5.
Anchorage Wolverines “Fire & Ice: A Night of Hockey, Honor & Heroes”
Sullivan Arena
Doors 5:45 p.m., puck drop 7 p.m.
Exhibition game vs. the U.S. National Team Development Program U17. Anchorage Fire Department firefighters will be on site for photos with a fire engine. A 9/11 tribute ceremony is scheduled during the first intermission. First responders and military members get in free with valid ID. Tickets: tickets.anchoragewolverines.com.
Fairbanks
Great Alaskan Stair Climb (Great Alaskan Memorial Stair Climb)
Carlson Center
Participants climb 110 flights of stairs—the height of the Twin Towers—to honor first responders who climbed the World Trade Center. Firefighters from multiple Interior departments often participate in full gear. Registration: $65 individual or $350 for a team of up to six. Check with the Carlson Center or local fire departments (Fairbanks Fire, University Fire, Fort Wainwright Fire, etc.) for schedule and registration. Proceeds have supported the Alaska Fallen Firefighter Memorial Fund in past years.
Fort Wainwright has held wreath-laying and remembrance ceremonies in recent years (flag to half-staff, bell ringing, 21-gun salute, bagpipes).
Juneau
9/11 Memorial ceremony at Riverside Rotary Park
Mendenhall Valley
Juneau’s September 11th Memorial (a pentagon-inspired design with Pennsylvania marble, forget-me-nots, and engraved bricks) is the site of an annual morning gathering. Past ceremonies have included remarks from first responders and officials, a procession to thank emergency personnel, wreath laying, the national anthem, and raising the flag to half-staff around the time of the first tower collapse (often near 9:40–10:15 a.m. local, or timed to 9:58 a.m. East Coast). Contact Capital City Fire/Rescue for confirmation.
Others
- Flags fly at half-staff statewide.
- Many fire, EMS, and police departments observe moments of silence or hold informal remembrances at stations.
- Military installations (JBER, Fort Wainwright, Eielson AFB, Coast Guard units) typically conduct internal or limited-public ceremonies.
- September 11 is also a National Day of Service; check 911day.org or local volunteer boards for any organized service projects.
- Communities such as Wasilla, Palmer, Kenai/Soldotna, Kodiak, Sitka, and Ketchikan often have small fire-department or civic observances—check your local Facebook pages or city event calendars.
