Sep 10, 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This Sept. 11, in observance of Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) solemnly pauses to remember the lives of the nearly 3,000 Americans who were lost in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. We also commend and honor the countless lives forever changed in the aftermath, including the first responders whose lives were irrevocably impacted, the service members who answered our nation’s call and the families who carried the weight of their sacrifice through the war that followed.
In the face of unimaginable tragedy, America responded with extraordinary courage and compassion. Flags waved in windows and on front porches, strangers reached out to strangers and communities rallied around first responders. Americans set aside their differences to stand together and our shared grief reminded us that despite our differences, we are bound by a common love of country and a responsibility to one another. That spirit of unity remains one of the most enduring legacies of that fateful day.
Now, 25 years later, the VFW recognizes that the story of 9/11 did not end when the smoke cleared. It continued on battlefields around the world, in the lives of those who served and sacrificed, and in the families and communities that continue to carry their loss. We remember those who never came home, those who returned bearing wounds seen and unseen and all who answered the call to defend our nation and its freedoms.
This Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, the more than 1.3 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary encourage all Americans to pause, remember and serve. We honor those we lost not only by keeping their memories alive, but by striving to be the nation that comes together in times of need, looks out for its neighbors and refuses to allow differences to divide us. May we carry forward that enduring spirit of togetherness, service and sacrifice, and always remember those who gave so much for our country.