On Memorial Day, honoring those who answered the call to serve after 9/11

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elizabeth L. Hillman is president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and a nationally recognized leader in education, service and military justice.

Memorial Day asks Americans to do something important: pause to remember the sacrifice of others. 

For veterans and military families, this holiday is deeply personal. It’s a solemn moment to remember those we’ve lost and recommit ourselves to carrying their memory forward for generations to come. That same sacred work of remembrance informs our work year round, every day, at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

My own military service in the Air Force shaped how I understand honor, duty, country and service. I learned the Air Force’s core values, which stay with me to this day: integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. As a space operations officer at Cheyenne Mountain and later as an instructor at the Air Force Academy, I saw firsthand the commitment required of men and women in uniform. Service demands discipline and sacrifice, but it also creates a lasting sense of shared purpose.

That spirit was evident across the country after Sept. 11, 2001.

In the aftermath of the attacks, Americans united in grief, resolve and patriotism. Communities rallied around first responders. Military families supported loved ones who extended their service and a new generation who chose to carry on that legacy. Young Americans stepped forward knowing the country had entered a dangerous and uncertain chapter. 

Nearly 25 years later, the legacy of that service surrounds us. It’s made our world a better place in countless ways. 

In honor of Memorial Day, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City has implemented a new, permanent policy offering free admission to all veterans nationwide as a way to honor those who served our country in the years following the attacks.

For many veterans, the Museum is personal. It tells the story of a day that changed the trajectory of their lives and countless others, an attack that led to years of service and sacrifice.

Every day, Museum visitors encounter stories of courage from civilians, first responders, relief workers and members of the military. They learn about extraordinary acts of compassion that emerged in the face of tragedy and fear. They also confront the continuing impact of 9/11 on survivors, rescue and recovery workers, and military families whose lives were shaped by the conflicts that followed.

At the same time, the Museum’s mission has become more urgent with each passing year. A growing number of Americans have no lived memory of Sept. 11, 2001. Millions know the attacks only through photographs, documentaries or school lessons. They neither experienced the fear and uncertainty of that morning nor witnessed the unity that followed.

Preserving those memories matters.

The story of 9/11 begins with loss, and continues with courage, service, and the way Americans came together during one of the most difficult periods in our history. Veterans and active duty personnel are an essential part of that story.

This Memorial Day and every day, we are proud to welcome veterans and active-duty service members to the Museum in recognition of their service to the nation. We hope the occasion offers an opportunity not only to reflect on what was lost on 9/11 and in battlefields around the world, but also to remember the resilience, duty and shared purpose that carried the country forward in the quarter century since the 9/11 attacks.