09/11/2026
September 11, 2026
On this anniversary, the National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame is honored to present memorial remarks from board member and inductee retired Detective, Tom Smith, NYPD.
Detective Smith speaks from experience, not observation. He served New York City on September 11, 2001, and in the days that followed at Ground Zero and the landfill. He then spent seventeen years with the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, work that took him around the world and included a deployment to Afghanistan that ended with the rescue of an American hostage.
The Hall of Fame exists to preserve lives of service like his, and to honor the first responders and families whose sacrifice did not end when the smoke cleared.
The tribute that follows is his.
25 YEARS LATER — NEVER FORGET
Twenty-five years have passed since September 11, 2001. But for those of us who were there, it was not 25 years ago.
It feels like yesterday.
I spent 30 years as an NYPD Detective, and on that terrible morning, I responded to Ground Zero. What I witnessed was something no person should ever have to see. The destruction of our city. The devastation inflicted upon our country. The smoke, the loss, the confusion, and the heartbreaking realization that thousands of innocent lives had been taken.
But amid the darkness, something else emerged.
Heroes.
Police officers. Firefighters. EMS personnel. Military members. First responders. Volunteers. Ordinary Americans who ran toward danger while others were running away.
They stood together. They sacrificed together. And many gave the ultimate sacrifice.
We will NEVER FORGET them.
After 9/11, my commitment to protecting this country took on an even greater meaning. I was assigned to the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, where the mission was clear: identify threats, disrupt terrorism, protect our communities, and do everything possible to make sure the horror of September 11th would never happen again.
That mission became a vow.
And 25 years later, that vow remains.
NEVER FORGET should never be something we say only once a year.
It should be something we live by every single day.
Because when we forget, the memories of those we lost begin to fade. When we forget, the extraordinary courage displayed by our heroes becomes just another chapter in history. And when we forget, we risk losing sight of the responsibility we have to protect the freedoms and security that so many sacrificed their lives to defend.
Memories may fade—but they never truly go away.
So today, and every day, stand tall.
Remember the victims.
Honor the heroes.
Support our first responders.
Pray for the families who were forever changed on September 11th.
And remember every police officer, firefighter, EMS provider, military member, and first responder who continues to stand between danger and the people they have sworn to protect.
At The National Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame, we stand with the heroes of this country. We honor them. We support them. And we recognize their courage and sacrifice, not just on September 11th, but every day of the year.
Twenty-five years later, we remember.
Twenty-five years later, we honor.
Twenty-five years later, we stand united.
And twenty-five years later, the message remains as powerful as ever:
NEVER FORGET.
NEVER FORGET THE LOST.
NEVER FORGET THE HEROES.
NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICE.
NEVER FORGET THE MISSION.
May God bless the families who lost loved ones.
May God bless our heroes and first responders.
And may God continue to bless the United States of America.
GOD BLESS AMERICA. 🇺🇸
Tom Smith
