Seneca Valley Junior ROTC members honor the memory of those killed on 9/11
On Thursday, Sept. 11, students from Seneca Valley School District’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps held a ceremony to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The oldest students involved in JROTC were six years away from being born when the attacks happened, but they understand the importance of remembering what happened.
Senior Dimitri Matusiak noted that despite being born after the fact, his generation has grown up in the shadow of the 9/11 attacks.
“Even though we weren’t alive to experience the event, it’s shaped so much of our world that we’ve grown up in,” he said. “Just being able to come out here, even something like placing flags, showing our respect for veterans, it means a whole lot to make sure the memories aren’t forgotten.”
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, making it still the deadliest terror attack in history. Those who were alive to experience it remember how the day upended the U.S.’ worldview and left the nation reeling.
But they also remember the shared sense of purpose and resolve that came in the wake of the attacks. They remember the stories of heroism from the passengers on United flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville in Somerset County.
For nearly a quarter century, we have lived with the after effects of the 9/11 attacks. It’s heartening to see the effort Seneca Valley’s JROTC students put in to honor those who died that day.
— JK
