It is hard to believe that this September will mark 25 years since a day that forever changed our country. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Americans watched in disbelief as our nation came under attack. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost, families were forever changed, and first responders ran toward unimaginable danger while others were desperately trying to escape it.
For those of us old enough to remember that day, 25 years somehow feels both like a lifetime ago and like yesterday. We remember where we were when we first heard the news. We remember watching television, trying to understand what was happening. We remember the images from New York City, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. We remember the firefighters, police officers, paramedics and ordinary citizens who demonstrated extraordinary courage.
And we remember what happened afterward. For a time, the things that divided us seemed much less important. American flags appeared on homes and businesses. Strangers comforted one another. Communities prayed together. We mourned together. We were Americans together.
This year, on the 25th anniversary of September 11, Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Fire Rescue is inviting our community to come together once again — to honor those who were lost, remember those who answered the call and reflect on a day our nation promised never to forget.
25 Years Strong: United We Remember
On Friday, September 11, 2026, Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Fire Rescue will host a special 25th anniversary remembrance beginning at 10 a.m. at the Multipurpose Ag Center, 96 Pat Dixon Road in Hazlehurst. Following the program, participants will take part in a somber 9/11 Climb to Remember.
The event will be a time to honor and remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, while paying tribute to the firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency personnel and others who served and sacrificed that day. There is something especially meaningful about our own local first responders leading this remembrance.
Twenty-five years ago, firefighters and other emergency personnel entered buildings while thousands of people were trying to get out. Many knew the danger they faced and went anyway. Their courage and sacrifice became an enduring part of the story of September 11. And now, a quarter-century later, our own firefighters are helping make sure that story continues to be told.
Perhaps the 25th anniversary also brings with it an added responsibility. An entire generation has now grown up knowing September 11 only through history lessons, photographs, videos and the stories told by those who lived through it. They don’t remember watching the events unfold. They don’t remember the silence and disbelief of that day. And they don’t remember how our country came together afterward.
But we do.
As the years continue to pass, it becomes even more important that we tell them. We tell them about the tragedy, but we also tell them about the courage. We tell them about the lives that were lost, but also about the heroes who ran toward danger. We tell them about the heartbreak, but also about the incredible strength and unity Americans showed in the days that followed.
Twenty-five years later, we remember. We remember the lives that were lost. We remember the heroes who served and sacrificed. We remember the families whose lives were forever changed. And we remember a nation that, in one of its darkest moments, came together.
On September 11, Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Fire Rescue invites Jeff Davis County to come together to remember, honor and reflect. Twenty-five years later, may we still keep the promise our nation made that day: We will never forget.
