09/12/2026
Need in my memories! 🙏🏻🇺🇸
🇺🇸 25 Years Later — We Remember
Tomorrow marks 25 years since September 11, 2001.
For those of us who lived through that day, it is almost impossible to believe that 25 years have passed. Many of us can still remember exactly where we were, what we were doing, and how we felt as we watched the events of that morning unfold.
But something feels especially important about this anniversary.
Today, approximately 100 million Americans are too young to remember September 11, 2001. Many weren’t even born yet.
So this year, we hope those who don’t remember will take a little time to learn—not only about what happened that day, but about the people and their stories.
Learn about Ben Sliney, who began his very first day as the FAA’s National Operations Manager on September 11. Faced with an unimaginable situation, he made the unprecedented decision to order every aircraft in the skies over the United States to land—approximately 4,200 planes.
Learn about the passengers and crew of Flight 93, who discovered what was happening elsewhere and made the decision to fight back. Their plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and their actions are believed to have prevented the hijackers from reaching their intended target.
Learn about the military pilots who scrambled into the air that morning in unarmed fighter jets, prepared to sacrifice their own lives by ramming a hijacked aircraft if that became necessary.
Learn about the firefighters, police officers, paramedics, rescue workers and ordinary citizens who ran toward danger.
And learn about the 2,977 people who went to work, boarded an airplane, reported for duty, dropped off their children, kissed someone goodbye or simply began an ordinary Tuesday morning—and never came home.
They ranged in age from just 2½ years old to 85.
There are thousands of stories from September 11. Stories of tremendous loss, but also stories of extraordinary courage, sacrifice, compassion and kindness.
For some of our Family Dental Associates team members, September 11 is also connected to personal memories of where they were and how old they were when the world changed.
Dr. Hodges was in dental school, watching the horrific events unfold on television with classmates.
Dr. Moses was 11 years old and was picked up early from school by his worried grandfather.
Rachel was traveling to dental hygiene school, listening to “Good Morning America” as the second plane hit the towers. Classes were soon canceled.
Stacey was at home with her 2-year-old son, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
We also had two employees who were just 3 and 4 years old at the time—too young to understand what was happening, but now old enough to recognize the significance of that day and the responsibility we all share to remember.
If you weren’t alive on September 11, 2001—or if you were too young to remember it—we encourage you to do something simple tomorrow:
Learn a name.
Read a story.
Tell someone else about it.
Because as the years pass, “Never Forget” has to mean more than remembering a date.
Those of us who remember have a responsibility to tell the stories. And the generations who came after us have the opportunity to carry them forward.
Twenty-five years later, may we remember those who were lost, honor those who served and sacrificed, pray for the families who still carry that loss, and never forget the humanity that shone through on one of America’s darkest days.
🇺🇸 September 11, 2001 — September 11, 2026
— Family Dental Associates
