WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 140 Department of Veterans Affairs and state veterans cemeteries will host volunteer service events Saturday, Sept. 12, marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by cleaning headstones and completing other cemetery maintenance projects.
The events will begin at 10 a.m. local time as part of the National Day of Service and Remembrance, with the VA’s National Cemetery Administration working with nonprofit Carry The Load to organize activities nationwide.
The initiative follows Patriot Day on Sept. 11, which Congress established under Public Law 107-89 to honor victims of the 2001 attacks.
Forty-seven veterans and dependents who died as a result of the attacks are buried or memorialized in VA national cemeteries, according to the department. Most are at Calverton National Cemetery and Long Island National Cemetery in New York.
The cemeteries also reflect the military consequences of the attacks and the wars that followed. More than 16,000 Global War on Terror veterans have been interred in VA national cemeteries nationwide.
“As our nation marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, VA national cemeteries offer a meaningful place to honor the courage and sacrifice of that day,” VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Sam Brown said.
Carry The Load President and co-founder Stephen Holley, a Navy SEAL veteran, said the service projects provide a way to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks while recognizing the families, first responders, military personnel and communities affected by 9/11.
Volunteers participating Saturday will be able to clean headstones and perform other cemetery beautification work. Cleaning supplies and other materials will be provided, and participation is free. Those wishing to participate can register at https://carrytheload.org/patriot-day/registration/.
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