At 0700 hours on Sept. 9, the Buccaneer Battalion honored the lives lost 15 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001.
Seven members of the Buc Battalion hoisted the flag to half-staff and held a moment of silence in honor of those who died.
After the moment of silence, the seven members led a prayer in honor of not only the members of the military and those who lost their lives, but the families of all those affected.
On Sept.11, 2,996 people were killed and over 6,000 others were injured. Four commercial airliners were seized by terrorists, under the direction of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Along with the passengers on the planes and the workers in the buildings, 343 New York City fire fighters, 23 New York City police officers and 37 officers at the Port Authority were killed.
“It feels like it was just a few weeks ago,” said Lt. Col. Glen Howie. “I knew at that point we had to ban together as a country.”
America was inspired to take action and join together to support the families of those affected and those serving in the United States Military.
American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, both heading from Boston to Los Angeles, were flown into the World Trade Centers, where the majority of casualties took place.
American Airlines Flight 77, traveling from Dulles, Virginia, to Los Angeles, was flown into the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93, traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, was brought down by civilians outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
“It took me years to fully understand the significance of these tragic events,” said senior Catherine Tucker. “Being from an area with nuclear plants, we were all on high alert.”
These events shaped America moving forward.
Made up of students, the majority of the Buc Battalion were in elementary school when these catastrophic events took place, yet it remains a driving force for many, 15 years later.
As of August 2016, 60 percent of the victims of 9/11 had been positively identified.
