SPEECH: 9/11 Memorial Flags and Ceremony

Good evening.

It is my solemn honor to welcome you to the Ohio Statehouse as we commemorate the twenty-fourth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. I am deeply grateful to join my colleagues and friends—Senator Hearcel Craig, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon—each of whom will offer their reflections tonight. We thank them, and all of you gathered here, for standing together in remembrance.

Two decades and more have passed since that cloudless September morning, and yet for those of us old enough to remember it, the images remain seared in our minds: the Twin Towers burning, the Pentagon in flames, and a scar in a Pennsylvania field that testified to ordinary citizens becoming extraordinary heroes. Nearly three thousand innocent souls were taken from us.

But consider this: this evening, as we stand here, there are more than one hundred million Americans who were born after 9/11. They know this day only through history books, documentaries, and ceremonies such as this one. That reality places upon us a profound responsibility: to remember, and to teach. To remember not just what was lost, but also how we responded—with unity, with courage, and with resolve.

For me, the memories of that day are deeply personal. On September 11th, I was a young staff member working for Senator George Voinovich on Capitol Hill. I can still recall the moment when we were told to run from the U.S. Capitol as armed officers shouted for us to leave. I remember the confusion, the fear, and the terrible uncertainty of not knowing if my loved ones were safe. Later that day, I learned that my girlfriend at the time, who worked at the Pentagon, had survived, though her office window had been blown inward by the impact of Flight 77.

That day shaped me, as it shaped millions of Americans. It strengthened my own calling to service, and eventually led me to wear our nation’s uniform overseas. And like many who served in the years after 9/11, I carry with me the conviction that the freedoms we cherish are never free—they are secured only through sacrifice.

The field of flags now placed annually on this lawn—arrayed as towers, as the Pentagon, and as a strip of open earth—reminds us of that sacrifice. Each flag represents a name, a life, a story cut short. Together they stand as a testament not only to those we lost, but to the enduring duty of the living: to remember.

We must remember so that our children and grandchildren understand what happened. We must remember so that the heroism of first responders and the selflessness of Flight 93’s passengers are never forgotten. And we must remember so that we never take for granted the blessings of freedom, or the courage required to defend it.

On September 12, 2001, Americans were not Republicans or Democrats, but neighbors—helping one another, donating blood, standing in line to serve, and bowing their heads together in prayer. In a time when our nation wrestles with division, we would do well to recall that spirit of unity.

Today, let us recommit ourselves to be worthy of the memory of those we lost. Let us ensure that the America they loved—the America of liberty and opportunity, of faith and of service—endures for those one hundred million young Americans, and for all of us, who will carry forward our nation’s story.

And in just a few moments, as we begin the solemn work of placing 2,977 flags upon this lawn, may each of us see not only a symbol, but a sacred charge: to remember, to honor, and to live in a way that keeps faith with their memory.

May God bless the memory of the fallen. May He comfort those who still grieve. And may He continue to watch over the United States of America.

Thank you.