Remembering the lives lost, honoring the heroes who answered the call, and standing with the families who continue to carry the weight of that day.
Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United Federation of Police Officers pauses to remember the 2,977 innocent lives taken at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
On that morning, America witnessed unimaginable loss. Families lost loved ones, communities were forever changed, and a nation was forced to confront one of the darkest days in its history. Yet amid the smoke, fear, and devastation, the world also saw extraordinary courage.
Honoring Those Who Ran Toward Danger
Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency personnel, and ordinary citizens responded with selflessness and bravery. While others fled danger, first responders moved toward it. Passengers aboard Flight 93 fought back to protect countless others. Across the country, Americans opened their homes, donated blood, raised the flag, and stood together.
The United Federation of Police Officers honors every life lost that day and every hero who answered the call in the moments, days, and years that followed. The United Federation of Police Officers had active and former members helping at Ground Zero (NY) and the Pentagon (D.C.) in the aftermath, we continue to thank them for their service that day and wish them great health.
Remembering the Sacrifice That Continued
The toll of September 11th did not end when the smoke cleared. In the years after the attacks, first responders, recovery workers, survivors, and members of the military continued to bear the physical and emotional burden of that day. Many became ill or died from conditions connected to their service at Ground Zero, while generations of American service members carried the fight against terrorism overseas. As Executive Board members of the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, we have seen firsthand the number of law enfacement names added to the memorial wall in relation to the illness directly related to September 11th.
We remember the fallen warriors who never returned home, the wounded who continue to heal, the veterans and military families who sacrificed, and the law enforcement and public safety professionals who continue to serve in defense of our communities.
United We Stood. United We Stand.
Twenty-five years later, the pain remains—but so does America’s resolve. The terrorists brought down buildings, but they did not bring down the American spirit. They created fear, but they did not destroy our courage. They attacked our nation, but they could not extinguish our commitment to liberty, justice, and freedom.
Today, the United Federation of Police Officers asks all Americans to pause, speak their names, teach future generations what happened, and honor every innocent life taken, every first responder who ran toward danger, and every service member who stood watch in the years that followed.
We remember September 11, 2001. We honor the fallen. We salute those who served. We stand with their families. And we will never forget.
