Community takes part in service projects to remember the fallen on 9/11

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — It’s been 24 years since the September 11th terrorist attacks, and today, many are remembering those who were killed by taking part in community events around the city.

Whether someone was in Central Indianapolis or in another county, today is meant to reflect on the heroes of 9/11.

At Crown Hill Cemetery, volunteers and local veterans like Rees Morgan woke up early to pay their respects. Their task for the day? Cleaning headstones.

“I always look for an event that I can be a part of,” Morgan said. “I haven’t done this one before and I said this is something I’d like to participate in.”

For Morgan, services like this mean a lot to him. This is a way for him and volunteers to help clean headstones, honoring the military, veterans, first responders and their families. “I’m proud of my service, and proud of the people I served with,” Morgan said. “I see some of them here today volunteering their time to see that we honor our veterans.”

The event was put on by a national non-profit veteran and first responder service organization with Carry the Load. Crown Hill Cemetery program specialist Erin Hamilton says seeing people of all ages come out and remember those heroes warms her heart.

“To see people come out year after year and being a veteran family member, it means so much to me to see them being honored,” Hamilton said. “Not only for their memory, but also the memory of why we do what we do.”

Another event was happening in downtown Indianapolis; members of the IU Indianapolis Army ROTC also helped remember 9/11 by participating in a 24-hour ruck.

“A ruck march, as defined by the Army, would be a weighted pack and movement at a set distance,” said Lt Col Brandon Lapehn, professor of military at IU Indianapolis. “Today we aren’t doing a distance, we are doing a time. So, a 24-hour window.”

Lapehn often thinks about how the events on 9/11 changed his life. He says he wouldn’t be where he is now and doing what he’s doing if it weren’t for that day and those tragic events. He believes it’s important that he and his students remember the heroes of 9/11.

“I think about those that ran towards the chaos, and those that voluntarily moved to a falling building to help their fellow man and their fellow woman,” Lapehn said.