DAYTON — The University of Dayton set out a powerful memorial to remember the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
In the middle of the University of Dayton’s campus sits 2,977 American flags. Student Government Association President Drew Moyer helped to organize the tribute.
“It’s powerful to conceptualize the amount of lives lost that day and see how impactful that was.” He continued by saying, “It’s powerful, for me I didn’t remember, don’t remember where I was. Some of our first-year students weren’t even born but throughout our lives, post 9/11 really impacted them.”
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UD’s ROTC Cadet Battalion Abby Herrmann was just over a year old when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center twin towers. But what’s happened over the last 20 years has impacted her life in more ways than one.
Herrmann said, “9/11 is an extremely powerful event especially for all the cadets because we grew up watching the news hearing about Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan and so that really sparked my interest in the military because I wanted to help protect our country form an event like that and also bring stability and security to countries who are run by terrorists.”
As students at UD walk to class Friday, many of them may not remember what happened on Sept. 11 – 20 years ago. But they’ll have the opportunity to remember those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
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Herrmann continued saying, “This is a central place on campus, so it gives students the ability to stop and take a moment for the victims, first responders and service members who gave their lives and who set a courageous example for us to follow.”
The flags will remain at the Central Mall portion of UD’s campus throughout Friday and Saturday before the ROTC students pick them up on Sunday.
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