September 11th is Patriot Day
Patriot Day is a national observance in the United States, held annually on September 11. It was established to memorialize the people who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The day is marked by acts of remembrance and solemn reflection on the anniversary of the event.
In response to the tragedy, the U.S. Congress acted to create a formal day of remembrance. On December 18, 2001, President George W. Bush signed Public Law 107-89, a joint resolution designating September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day.”
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Patriot Day, as a nationwide observance, is traditionally on September 11 to remember the 2001 attacks. But there is a second Patriots Day, observed as a regional holiday celebrated on the third Monday of April in Massachusetts and Maine. It commemorates the first battles of the American Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord. It is in no way associated with the September 11th observation.
Timeline of September 11th Events
On Tuesday, September 11, terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. At 8:46 a.m. Eastern Time, the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 struck the World Trade Center South Tower.
The resulting damage and fires caused both towers to collapse. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, at 9:37 a.m.
Passengers and crew on the fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, fought against the hijackers, which resulted in the plane crashing into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m.
Observing Patriot Day
By law, the President issues an annual proclamation for Patriot Day. This proclamation calls on all U.S. government agencies and interested organizations and individuals to display the flag of the United States at half-staff. The President also encourages Americans to hold a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. EDT, the time of the first plane impact.
Formal ceremonies take place at the three primary sites of the attacks. At the September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, family members read the names of every victim aloud.
This reading is paused for moments of silence that mark the times of the plane impacts and tower collapses. Similar memorial services are held at the Pentagon Memorial in Virginia and the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania.
The focus of the day has expanded since its inception. For example, the 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act designated September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This legislation encourages Americans to participate in volunteer and charitable activities in observance.
The goal is to transform a day of tragedy into a day defined by community service.
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About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
