09/11/2026
Every year on September 11, we pause to honor the lives taken too soon and the families whose worlds were forever changed. It is a day to remember the absolute best of humanity rising up in our darkest hours.
Having served as a Navy Court Reporter, I had the profound privilege of working inside the Pentagon in 2009 on the special sessions for Capt Michael Scott Speicher, the first American pilot shot down in Operation Desert Shield. That year, after nearly two decades, Captain Speicher was finally brought home to American soil. Standing inside those walls and witnessing the tireless devotion to honoring a fallen hero makes the tragedy of 9/11 feel all the closer to the heart.
The Pentagon is a place of profound duty, and the 184 innocent lives lost there, alongside the thousands of souls lost in New York City and Shanksville, will never be forgotten.
To the families who carry an empty chair at the table, to the survivors who still bear the scars, and to the first responders who gave everything: you have our deepest condolences, our enduring prayers, and our solemn promise to never forget. 🫡 🇺🇸❤️ 🙏🏾
