One of the most often-used phrases to describe the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, is that we, as a nation, should “never forget.”

But how can one forget something that one never experienced in the first place?

That’s the conundrum facing teachers today as they attempt to impart to students what happened on that tragic day in our nation’s history.

In 2020, unless a student was held back a few times, there aren’t any high school students who were alive on the day that terrorists slammed planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville.

All of the knowledge they have of that day is from historical documents — media footage, textbooks and documentary films — or the memories of those who recall what they saw and how they felt.

So, it’s great to see that, 19 years later, county schools are doing their part to ensure that Sept. 11 doesn’t just become another day in history to file away or memorize for an exam question.

On Thursday, a group of community volunteers carried on a tradition at Mars Area High School to install a display along Route 228 that includes 2,977 small flags to commemorate the number of lives lost that day.

While students were, unfortunately, unable to gather to install the flags this year due to social distancing regulations, the combination of volunteerism involved in Mars Area’s event and adherence to COVID-19-related precautions is a great example of taking care of each other.

And that captures the spirit of what Sept. 11 should be all about — commemoration, service and looking out for others.

In previous years, other county school districts have held events inspired by 9/11, from commemoration ceremonies to various forms of service. Last year, students in one district were asked to perform good deeds on that day as part of a challenge.

This year, it’s understandable that events might be dialed down or canceled due to COVID-19. But we hope they resume next year.

Kudos to the initiative in the Mars Area School District to keep the tradition alive. We hope everyone in the county who remembers how they felt on 9/11 use that as an inspiration to find a way to give back to their community.

— NCD