BANGOR, Maine — Saturday, September 11th, 2021, marks 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the nation. Ceremonies were held across Maine to commemorate the somber anniversary.
Along the Bangor Waterfront, the Bangor High School JROTC Battalion hosted an event. The students provided a flag detail, conducted a wreath-laying ceremony, and fired a gun salute to honor all of those who have been affected by the 9/11 attacks.
Jeffrey Sanders, an English teacher at Bangor High School, was living in New York City working as a financial reporter at the time of the attacks. He gave a speech on Saturday about his experience.
"One of the main reasons I moved to Maine and out of New York City was probably because of 9/11," said Sanders.
Retired Command Sergeant Major John Brooks is the new JROTC instructor at Bangor High School. On September 11th, 2001, he was working for the Maine Army National Guard Armory in Brewer. He also gave a speech Saturday, recalling the emotional days that followed when they heard the news. He said the day of the attacks, a platoon of soldiers showed up to the armory to report for duty, without being called in.
"They were told that we could not feed them or pay them because we did not have a mission yet. They acknowledged that, and chose to stay," Brooks said.
Philip and Mary Drew of Glenburn, Maine, attended the event Saturday. The two stood holding up an American flag for the entire hour-long ceremony.
"It has the names of all the people lost that day, the responders, as well as the people on the flights, and also the people who worked in the twin towers," Mary said.
Sergeant Brooks asked that everyone continue to share stories from that day, particularly to those who didn't live through it, so that we truly never forget.
"It's just a great way to honor our country, and it really means a lot to me to be able to be here even though I wasn't even born when 9/11 happened," said Fallon Eggett, a member of the Bangor High School JROTC Battalion.