Patriot Day Volunteers to Honor 9/11 Victims at VA Cemeteries Nationwide

On Thursday, Sept. 11, sixty national cemeteries under the Department of Veterans Affairs will host volunteer events, encouraging the public to pay tribute to 9/11 victims and first responders by cleaning headstones and enhancing the final resting places of U.S. veterans, according to the VA. Events typically commence at 10 a.m. local time, although some locations in Maryland and Virginia may start at 9 a.m.

The day of service commemorates Patriot Day, marking the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The National Cemetery Administration of the VA reports that 47 former service members and their dependents, who lost their lives due to the attacks, are interred or commemorated in VA cemeteries, including Calverton and Long Island National Cemeteries in New York.

“VA cemeteries serve as a poignant setting to contemplate the heroism and sacrifice of 9/11,” stated VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Sam Brown, an Afghanistan War veteran injured in 2008. “On this Patriot Day, we encourage all Americans to visit participating VA cemeteries, where they can contribute to honoring and preserving the legacies of the victims, first responders, service members, and families affected by 9/11.”

The nonprofit Carry The Load is collaborating with the VA’s National Cemetery Administration for the seventh consecutive year to enhance volunteer efforts. “On Patriot Day, we invite Americans to commemorate the memory of those lost on 9/11 by engaging in community service and sharing stories of the first responders and military who made sacrifices to ensure our safety,” said Carry The Load co-founder and CEO Stephen Holley.

Volunteers will be provided with cleaning supplies and guidance on the appropriate care of headstones and additional tasks. The VA has announced the locations and start times for participation, and registration can be completed via Carry The Load.

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 individuals lost their lives when 19 al-Qaeda terrorists took control of four airliners, targeting the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field close to Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In 2009, Congress designated September 11 as the National Day of Service and Remembrance, coinciding with Patriot Day, to promote community service in honor of those who lost their lives.

The VA manages over 150 national cemeteries across the country; these events offer individuals, families, youth groups, and employee teams an opportunity to engage in remembrance through active participation.

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