GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Friday marks 25 years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and communities across Goldsboro and Wayne County will join the nation in remembering the lives lost while honoring the first responders, military personnel and others whose service and sacrifice followed one of the darkest days in American history.
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m., followed by United Airlines Flight 175 striking the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon, while United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers.
The attacks claimed 2,977 victims, including hundreds of firefighters, law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel who responded to help others.
This year’s anniversary holds particular significance as the nation marks a quarter-century since the attacks. Several events in Wayne County will give residents opportunities to gather, remember and reflect.
Rosewood High School JROTC to Hold Remembrance Ceremony
The Rosewood High School JROTC Eagle Battalion will hold a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, in the Rosewood High School gym.
Guests attending the ceremony are asked to arrive no later than 8:30 a.m.
The ceremony will bring together students, faculty, veterans and members of the community to honor those who lost their lives and recognize the sacrifices made on September 11 and in the years that followed.
The event also provides an opportunity for younger generations, many of whom were born years after the attacks, to learn about the significance of September 11 and the courage and service demonstrated that day.
Wayne Community College Hosts 9/11 Tribute Stair Climb
Wayne Community College will also commemorate the anniversary with its annual 9/11 Tribute Stair Climb Friday morning at the Magnolia Building on the college’s Goldsboro campus.
The tribute begins at 9 a.m. and will include students from WCC’s Basic Law Enforcement Training and Emergency Medical Services programs along with local first responders.
Participants will climb the equivalent of 78 flights of stairs, representing the highest floor firefighters reached in the World Trade Center’s South Tower before it collapsed.
The climb honors the public safety personnel who lost their lives responding to the attacks. The public is invited to attend and support the participants.
9/11 Recognition Ceremony at Goldsboro High School
Remembrance will continue Friday evening at Goldsboro High School, where a special 9/11 25th Anniversary Recognition Ceremony will be held ahead of the school’s football game against C.B. Aycock.
The ceremony is scheduled for 6:15 p.m., followed by kickoff between the Goldsboro Cougars and C.B. Aycock Golden Falcons at 7 p.m.
The recognition carries the message “Honor • Remember • Appreciate” and commemorates 25 years of courage and 25 years of service, while expressing continued gratitude for those who have served and sacrificed.
Field of Honor Returns to Downtown Goldsboro
Another patriotic tribute will be displayed in downtown Goldsboro as the 6th Annual Field of Honor becomes part of NC Freedom Fest.
American flags will be displayed along North Center Street across from Goldsboro City Hall, creating a prominent tribute in the heart of downtown.
The Field of Honor serves as a reminder of service, sacrifice and the freedoms generations of Americans have worked to protect. Against the backdrop of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the display also offers residents and visitors a place to reflect on the lives lost and recognize military members, veterans, first responders and others who have served their communities and country.
25 Years Later, Never Forget
September 11 is observed nationally as Patriot Day and the National Day of Service and Remembrance, with Americans encouraged to remember the victims through ceremonies, service and acts of unity.
Twenty-five years after the attacks, an entire generation has now grown up without a personal memory of that Tuesday morning. Local ceremonies such as those being held in Wayne County help ensure the story of September 11 — and the courage displayed in its aftermath — continues to be passed on.
For Goldsboro and Wayne County, Friday will be a day to remember those who never came home, honor those who ran toward danger when others were fleeing and recognize the men and women who answered the nation’s call in the years that followed.
Twenty-five years later, the promise remains: Never Forget.
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