Columbia VA 9/11 observance honors victims, Veterans and first responders
By Courtney Austin, Public Affairs Specialist
One by one, their names were spoken.
Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, members of the Columbia VA Health Care System gathered at 8:46 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to remember the 2,977 people killed and honor the first responders, service members, and civilians whose courage defined the nation’s response.
The chaplain-led observance focused on presenting the victims as individuals rather than allowing the magnitude of the tragedy to reduce them to a number.
“We’re putting some real names to it and making it real — men and women, not just statistics,” said Chaplain Robert Bellin, Chief of Chaplain Services, before the ceremony.
Bellin opened the 11:30 observance by welcoming Veterans, employees, representatives of Disabled American Veterans, and facility leaders, including Brian Arnette, Columbia VA Executive Director/CEO.
During his opening remarks, Bellin recalled serving with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, when the attacks occurred and reflected on how that day changed the nation and the lives of those serving in uniform.
Dr. Ruth Mustard, Associate Director for Patient Care and Nursing Services, attended the observance and shared a personal memory of where she was when the attacks occurred. She recalled gathering with colleagues in the facility’s former Farley Conference Room to watch news coverage while her husband remained under lockdown at Fort Myer, Virginia. Her recollections connected the national tragedy to the personal experiences of Veterans and employees within the Columbia VA community.
Chaplain Cynthia Alexander then read President Donald Trump’s proclamation designating Sept. 11, 2026, as Patriot Day and commemorating the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
The proclamation recounted the hijacking of four commercial airliners: American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, which struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City; American Airlines Flight 77, which struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers.
The proclamation specifically recognized passenger Todd Beamer and the others aboard Flight 93 whose actions prevented the aircraft from reaching its intended target. It also directed flags at federal facilities to be flown at half-staff in observance of Patriot Day.
Following the proclamation, Alexander delivered an invocation asking for comfort for grieving families, healing for those still carrying physical and emotional wounds, and continued strength and protection for the nation.
The ceremony then shifted from the broader history of the attacks to individual stories of courage and sacrifice.
A video presentation highlighted Marine Veteran Jason Thomas, one of two Marines who traveled to ground zero after learning of the attacks. Thomas and fellow Marine Veteran Dave Karnes joined the search through the rubble and helped locate Port Authority Police Department Officers Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, who were trapped beneath the collapsed World Trade Center.
Thomas’ story illustrated the spirit of service demonstrated by first responders, military members, and ordinary citizens who moved toward danger to help others.
The observance continued with the reading of names and biographical details of people killed when Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Those remembered included Paul Wesley Ambrose; Melissa Rose Barnes; Army Sgt. 1st Class Jose O. Calderon-Olmedo; Sharon A. Carver; Stanley R. Hall; retired Navy Rear Adm. Wilson Flagg; Darlene Ellen “Dee” Embree Flagg; Khang Ngoc Nguyen; Meta L. Fuller Waller; and Edmond G. Young Jr.
Their biographies provided glimpses into the lives interrupted that morning.
Ambrose, 32, was a physician from West Virginia who had served as national director of legislative affairs for the American Medical Student Association. Barnes, 27, was a Navy petty officer who had worked at Navy headquarters for two years. Calderon-Olmedo, 44, was an Army Veteran from Puerto Rico who served during Operation Desert Storm.
Hall, 68, was an Army Veteran, engineer, and former director of program management at Raytheon. Nguyen, 41, earned a degree in electrical engineering and worked as a systems administrator at the U.S. Navy Command Center in the Pentagon.
By sharing their professions, military service, and personal qualities, the readings reinforced the ceremony’s message that each name represented a life, a family, and a legacy.
The service concluded with a prayer and benediction presented by Chaplain Sarah Williams that focused on healing, remembrance, and resilience. The prayer acknowledged the “long shadow” of deployments following the attacks and the visible and invisible wounds carried by Veterans, survivors, and first responders.
As the ceremony ended, attendees were reminded that remembrance involves more than recalling what happened. It requires preserving the names, stories, and sacrifices of those whose lives were forever changed.
Twenty-five years later, the Columbia VA community continues to honor that responsibility — one name and one story at a time.