Cadets Visit Pentagon Memorial, Honor 9/11 Victims

View Online Cadets Visit Pentagon Memorial, Honor 9/11 Victims March 13, 2025 | By David Vergun On Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon, killing all 64 people on the plane and 125 people in the building.   The Pentagon Memorial is the first national memorial dedicated to honoring the 184 people whose lives were lost at the Pentagon that day.  The Gary Sinise Foundation sponsored a trip to the memorial for 37 cadets from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, yesterday where they learned about the events that day and the creation of the memorial. The visit concluded with students placing a wreath in honor of the victims and their families.  Cadet Ella Killebrew said she learned that most of the military members killed inside the Pentagon were members of the Navy.   "My grandfather was in the Navy, so that was very important to me," Killebrew said. "I just really feel for the families. It's been surreal today."  Killebrew has been accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and starts this fall.  Cadet Ruth Tetori, who plans to attend Virginia Tech and join the university's cadet corps, said when people think of 9/11, they think of the twin towers in New York.  "This reminds me that these were just ordinary people going to work to support their families and those families are still suffering from the effects of 9/11," Tetori said.  Cadet Cole Sauvager, who plans to join Air Force ROTC, said he learned not just about the tragic events of 9/11, but also about the heroism of first responders and those in the building who helped others evacuate.  Cadet Michael Hays, who plans to attend Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, said he learned the aim of the terrorists "was to divide the nation, turn us against each other and put us in chaos. But it ultimately brought us all together."  Hays said the visit is particularly special because his father is an airline captain with American Airlines and his mother was a flight attendant with the same company. Two of his mother's flight attendant friends were killed on 9/11.  Cadet Jake Graham, who plans to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, was impressed with the quilts on display in the Pentagon, honoring the victims.  Graham and most of the other cadets were also on a Gary Sinise Foundation-sponsored trip last year to Shanksville, Pennsylvania. That is the site where United Flight 93, whose passengers fought back, crashed in a field instead of reaching its intended target, Graham said.  Together, Graham, Hays, Sauvager and Tetori placed the wreath at the memorial.  Of the 37 cadets visiting the memorial, 15 have received appointments to service academies and about eight more will go to military colleges, said Frank Carlucci, commandant of Randolph-Macon College and a former Navy officer.  Carlucci's father, with whom he shares the same name, was defense secretary from 1987 to 1989.  The key word in our mission statement is educate, said Tom Gibbs, senior education manager at the Gary Sinise Foundation.  "Gary wants to ensure young people have the opportunity to get out of the classroom and learn something specific about our nation's history. 9/11 was a big turning point for Gary and his desire to do more for our nation's military and first responders. We thought this was a good time for Americans who were not alive during 9/11 to learn what happened and keep the memory alive," Gibbs said.  More about the Gary Sinise Foundation  "At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need. We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities," the Gary Sinise Foundation mission statement reads.  "Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted. We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security. While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation's defenders, we can always do a little more," the statement reads.  More about Gary Sinise  Actor Gary Sinise was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Feb. 5, 2020.  The award was given for four decades of work helping service members, veterans, first responders and their families.  Sinise began his work as an advocate for service members in the early 1980s, supporting Vietnam veteran groups and creating vets night, a program offering free dinners and performances to veterans. Continuing to the 1990s in support of the Disabled American Veterans organization, he raised awareness and support for wounded service members. Since the attacks of 9/11, his dedication to those who have served became a crusade of gratitude.  Sinise's portrayal of Lt. Dan Taylor in the 1994 award-winning film ''Forrest Gump'' further strengthened his connection with the military community. After several USO tours, Sinise formed the Lt. Dan Band in 2003 and began touring to entertain troops in early 2004. Since then, the band has performed hundreds of concerts on military bases and for charities and fundraisers in support of wounded heroes, Gold Star families, veterans and troops around the world.  He also formed a foundation to expand his individual efforts and is a spokesman and board member for various organizations that support veterans, service members and their families.  Congressional Medal of Honor Society officials said the Patriot Award is given to individuals who possess the highest ethics and selfless dedication in the demonstration of the six values embodied by the Medal of Honor: Courage, sacrifice, commitment, integrity, citizenship and patriotism. Every year, the society honors Americans who have distinguished themselves through a lifetime of work upholding these ideals. It is the highest civilian award the society grants.  (Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Leon Wong contributed to this story)

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