On Sept. 11, 2001, Americans watched in horrified dismay the terrorist attacks by 19 al-Qaeda extremists that would leave 2,977 people dead.
Largely tabling political differences, the shaken nation came together in a rare spirit of unity after the tragedy.
As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, that same spirit continues to inspire memorial ceremonies across the country, including many in central Ohio.
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board will again commemorate 9/11 with a memorial flag display on the west lawn of the Ohio Statehouse. When viewed from above, the 2,977 flags map out the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, along with the Pennsylvania field where a fourth terrorist plane crashed.
A flag-planting and memorial program will take place on Sept. 9, starting at 5:15 p.m. on the West Plaza of the Statehouse. In the event of rain, the program will be held in the Atrium, and the flags will be placed by staff at a later time.
The memorial flag display will be open to the public from 7 p.m. Sept. 10 to 5 p.m. Sept. 13.
At the National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM), a brief ceremony at 8:45 a.m. Sept. 11 will include a welcome and opening remarks by speakers to be announced, along with the singing of “America, The Beautiful” and a moment of silence.
The NVMM has partnered once more with 9/11 Day for a National Day of Service project. Some 300 volunteers will pack 124,000 meals to be distributed by Mid-Ohio Food Collective to families facing food insecurity in central Ohio.
Wondering how 9/11 is being observed elsewhere in the area? Below are a few events taking place in Columbus and surrounding communities.
Central Ohio 9/11 commemorations planned
Dublin
All year round at Station 93, 5825 Brand Road, a steel beam from the Twin Towers is on display, which was obtained within a year or two after 9/11, Adam Smith, assistant fire chief, said. Tentatively, a short remembrance event will occur at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at Station 93 with a bell ceremony and speakers.
There will be a formal flag lowering to half-staff. Check out the fire department’s Facebook page for further updates.
Grandview Heights
Join other community members at Grandview Heights City Hall, 1525 Goodale Blvd., at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, a tribute to the 343 firefighters who died at the World Trade Center.
Participants can climb the equivalent of 110 stories – the height of the fallen towers – on the path at Wyman Woods or the Grandview Avenue Hill.
Each climber will get a badge with the name and photo of a late firefighter to symbolically complete the climb with them. At the 78th-floor mark, climbers ring the fire bell in honor of their firefighter.
Participation is free, but registration is required at grandviewheights.recdesk.com.
Groveport
The Madison Township Fire Department’s remembrance ceremony is planned for 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the Motts Military Museum, 5075 S. Hamilton Road. The ceremony will feature guest speakers who served at Ground Zero, sharing firsthand accounts of the response to the attacks and the rescue and recovery efforts that followed, according to a press release.
The event will also include a presentation of colors, singing of the national anthem, recognition of all responders and a closing tribute.
Hilliard
Honor the first responders who gave their lives and all who were impacted by the events 25 years ago at a remembrance ceremony in First Responders Park at noon Sept. 11. Located at the corner of Main and Center streets, the park is a major 9/11 memorial with original Ground Zero artifacts and three granite walls bearing the names of the victims.
Upper Arlington
Hosted by Local 1521 and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the Central Ohio 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb will take place on Sept. 13 in Marv Moorehead Memorial Stadium at Upper Arlington High School, 1625 Zollinger Road.
On-site registration will be at 8 a.m., followed by a 9 a.m. opening ceremony and the climb from 9:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Online registration will end at 12 a.m. Sept. 11 at nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/centralohio26.
Worthington
As they have for several years, volunteers will place 2,977 small U.S. flags on the Village Green as part of Worthington’s Patriot Day ceremony at noon Sept. 11.
Free and open to the community, Patriot Day is presented in partnership with Leasure-Blackston American Legion Post 239.
Continuing to remember
Remembrance Ruck
While Sept. 11 is a day to remember and reflect, the NVMM devotes the day after to honoring the years of service and sacrifice that followed the terrorist attacks.
Recognizing those who served during the Global War on Terrorism, the Remembrance Ruck will begin at 9 a.m. Sept. 12 on the museum’s rooftop sanctuary. Participants will walk along the Scioto Trail before ending in the Memorial Grove. Rucksacks are optional and participation is free.
If there’s a 9/11-related event that needs to be on our list, reach out and let us know by emailing Columbus Dispatch reporters Belinda M. Paschal at bpaschal@dispatch.com or Nora Igelnik at nigelnik@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Events planned around central Ohio for 25th anniversary of 9/11
Reporting by Belinda M. Paschal and Nora Igelnik, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Belinda M. Paschal and Nora Igelnik, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
