By Jenny Wells-Hosley
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2024) — This Wednesday will mark the 23-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. University of Kentucky Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC programs will remember those who lost their lives with a campus ceremony beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Members of the UK Perishing Rifles program will set up approximately 8,000 flags on the front lawn of UK’s Main Building to honor lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and in the wars that followed.
The ceremony will begin with remarks at 8:30 a.m. by Lt. Col. Alan Overmyer, UK professor of military science. From a podium, cadets will then read the name of each victim throughout the day. They will begin reading the names at 8:46 a.m., when the first attack occurred. They will also raise the American flag at this time. The ceremony is expected to conclude around 5 p.m.
A cadet will continually march in front of the flag carrying a replica rifle until all names have been read.
Army ROTC Cadet Samuel Campbell, a senior majoring in history from Oldham County, Kentucky, is helping organize this year’s event.
“Even after 23 years, it remains important to carry on this tradition of remembrance — it’s about honoring the lives we lost and ensuring their names and stories are never forgotten,” Campbell said. “For me, leading this event is both a privilege and a responsibility to the fallen and their families. It reminds us all the shared strength and unity that emerged from tragedy, and why it’s so important to pass this legacy on to future generations. By honoring the lives lost, we not only pay tribute but also find resilience and hope in their memory.”
Although students and community members are welcome to observe and take photos, organizers ask they do not disturb the cadets reading the names or performing guard duty.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.
