Richmond remembers the fallen, first responders and troops 20 years after 9/11

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The memory of the over 2,000 people killed on Sept. 11 two decades ago won’t soon be forgotten.

Around 100 miles north of Richmond at the Pentagon, a commercial jet slammed into the south side of the building.

Now Richmonders are remembering those lives lost for the 20th year.

NASCAR and Richmond Raceway are honoring the fallen with a piece of the World Trade Center on display.

Across the area, there were 9/11 stair climbs. Richmond will hold theirs at City Stadium as a COVID-19 precaution.

Rep. Rob Wittman spoke on the tragedy caused by the attacks and the brave response by troops and first responders.

“I think the 20th anniversary of 911 reminds us of the brutality of what we saw that day at the hands of terrorists and what they were willing to do in attacking America, but also on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the bravery and the heroism that was shared by many that day in the face of tremendous tragedy,” Wittman said.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger said the attack required unity from the American people.

“An attack on one of us or thousands of us is an attack on all of us. And I do hope that as we join together across communities and across the country in remembrance of the day that in honor of all of the Americans that we lost on September 11, we will take stock of what brings us together and take stock of what unites us,” Spanberger said.

The feelings following the attacks at the Pentagon, World Trade Center and in Pennsylvania are especially fresh of mind following the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Tonight many Afghan refugees who helped U.S. troops in Afghanistan are housed at Virginia military bases preparing to resettle here.

Air Force veteran and Colonial Heights resident Jon Hernandez served in Afghanistan as well as Iraq. He served in order to help protect people at home from future attacks.

“I want to take the fight to somebody else and away from away from our civilians and away from our people so then experience they don’t have to experience the atrocities that we see when we go to war,” Hernandez said.