How to Commemorate the 9/11 Anniversary
Remember those who died in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 with one or more of these 9/11 tributes.
Up next in How to Support Our Troops (6 videos)
Show your support for our men and women overseas with the suggestions in these videos.
You Will Need
- Moments of silence
- Good deed
- Gratitude
- Poem
- Donation
- Kindness
Steps
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Step 1
Observe a moment of silence
Observe moments of silence marking the events of 9/11: The first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. Eastern time, and the second plane hit the South Tower at 9:03. A plane hit the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., while passengers crash-landed a hijacked plane in Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:02 a.m.
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Step 2
Do a good deed
Commemorate the 9/11 anniversary by doing a good deed, whether of a personal nature or through organized volunteering. In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama declared September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance as a way to honor those who died.
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Step 3
Thank the military
Show your gratitude to U.S. troops for the sacrifices they've made since 9/11 -- and continue to make -- by sending a currently deployed service member a care package or simply writing them a letter.
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To sponsor care packages to members of the U.S. military, visit sites like "treatsfortroops.info":http://www.treatsfortroops.info/, "treatanysoldier.com":http://treatanysoldier.com/, and "uso.org":http://www.uso.org/.
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Step 4
Write a poem
Write about your feelings. Try poetry, essays, fiction, or journal entries. In the months after 9/11, many people found comfort channeling their grief and anger into verse that they taped to lampposts and posted in windows.
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Step 5
Pay your respects
Visit a 9/11 attack site to pay your respects, like the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero in New York City or the Pentagon Memorial in Washington D.C.
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Step 6
Be kind
Recapture the kindness and gentleness that Americans showed one another in the days and weeks after 9/11. And try to keep the spirit alive long after you're done commemorating the 9/11 anniversary.
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A pear tree found in the rubble of the World Trade Center, nicknamed "The Survivor Tree," was nursed back to life and replanted at Ground Zero in 2010.
