9/11 victims remembered at Virginia War Memorial

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Countless people across the U.S., and here at home, are coming together to mourn the 9/11 victims -- and some chose to remember loved ones and reflect on those victims at the Virginia War Memorial.

History was forever changed that day, cutting lives short and ushering in the War on Terror. However, some at the war memorial say the attack formed a family thankful for freedoms in America and dedicated to teaching the next generation what happened 24 years ago.

On Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people perished between plane crashes at the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. But their memory always stays alive on these Americans' watches at the war memorial.

Bands sing, play the sound of taps and the memorial bell rings. Some reminisce on how they saw Americans come together 24 years ago.

"That spirit, that resilience, that coming together was simply unbelievable. I'm nostalgic for it. I find myself wishing for that feeling again that we all felt in the days and weeks following 9/11," said Virginia War Memorial Director Dr. Clay Mountcastle.

But that spirit came at a cost -- the lives of people like Doug Ketcham from Midlothian.

He died when American Airlines Flight 11 flew through the North Tower.

"You had to pay attention when he was talking because he was a guy that was always slipping in humor, and he could diffuse even the most stressful situation with a quick joke and his quick wit," said John Riley, who serves as president for the Freedom Flag Foundation.

Riley -- Ketchum's friend from Midlothian High School -- works to teach others and encouraging all of us to see the pieces of the World Trade Center on display to better understand what happened on 9/11.

As president, he's advocating for the Freedom Flag to become a nationally recognized symbol, honoring the victims and teaching the next generation.

"We kept a promise on that day to never forget. It was the deadliest terrorist attack ever. America and even the world was watching it unfold. We were all shocked and traumatized at the same time, and so it changed history. We really have to learn and remember history," Riley said. "Now 24 years later, we have another generation. 80 to 100 million Americans born — almost 25% of our population — who didn't live through it. So, they have to be taught. They didn't live it. They have to learn it, and that's where our organization comes in. And we come alongside educators and institutions like the war memorial to help them do just that."

Moving forward, the Freedom Flag Foundation is working to make its namesake a national symbol of remembrance for 9/11 by the 25th anniversary next year.