National Memorial Day Concert

2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks on September 11. Today, on #NationalFirstRespondersDay, we thank and honor those who answered the call on September 11 in New York, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, who represent all those who did so across our nation.

In the final year of WWII, the U.S. Navy was a pivotal force in bringing a conclusion to the war. On October 27, 1945, over 5 million New Yorkers joined President Harry S. Truman on the waterfront of the Hudson River to celebrate and honor the fleet and sailors of the US Navy returning home from deployments across the globe during WW2. Navy Day, 1945, recognized the tremendous effort of the US Naval fighting force, from the devastation of Pearl Harbor to the beach landings of D-Day to the pivotal role played in the Pacific theater. By the end of the war, an estimated 3.8 million personnel served as proud members of the US Navy. #NavyDay #USNavy

Performers and speakers from the National Memorial Day Concert share messages of support to our troops serving around the world. On National #DayoftheDeployed, we pay tribute to our nation's service members and their families. Thank you for your service.

Happy 251st birthday to the @USNavy! Hooyah!

Today marks the anniversary of Operation Enduring Freedom, launched on this date in 2001 in response to the attacks on 9/11. Our thoughts and hearts are with all of the brave men and women who answered the call of a wounded nation and with their families and loved ones who have served and sacrificed along with them. From the 2014 concert, Dianne Wiest pays tribute to Specialist Kris Stonesifer, who was killed in action during Operation Enduring Freedom on October 19, 2001.

October 5 is the National Day of Honor for American Veterans Disabled for Life. At the 2016 National Memorial Day Concert, @GarySinise shared the story of Jack Farley, a Vietnam War veteran and recipient of four Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. Today and every day, we honor the veterans whose lives were forever changed through their service and sacrifice for our country.

In the days following 9/11, there were hundreds of funerals and memorial services for the victims of the attacks, including first responders. Every day is Memorial Day for the families and friends who lost someone that morning. As September comes to a close, we're reminded to keep the memories of those lost alive. In the words of Ret. FDNY Buddy Ducalo - "We need to remember so it doesn't happen again." We will never stop remembering. #NeverForget #September11 #WeRemember

The loss of a U.S. service member tears a hole in any community, but for the family they leave behind, it represents a forever grief. Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day, observed every year on the final Sunday of September, is a time not only to honor the enduring legacy of our courageous service members who made the ultimate sacrifice, but to shine a light on and pause to recognize the unimaginable strength and resilience their families continue to display in navigating incomprehensible loss. In 2021, the National Memorial Day Concert shared the story of Staff Sergeant Joseph E. Phaneuf, a devoted husband, father, and patriot who reenlisted after 9/11 to protect our nation. His wife Michele, their family and loved ones honor his legacy with strength and grace. Click here for the full story: youtu.be/SSXJHXuJt88?si=k2l_…

On September 11, 2001, Ret. FDNY Tim Brown lost over 100 of his friends and colleagues. In the years that followed he found it hard to get out of bed, to find happiness, love and a purpose. With the help of his family and close friends, he has been able to move forward, finding purpose in sharing their stories of heroism on one of America’s darkest days. Keep sharing their stories. Never forget.

Happy 79th birthday to the @usairforce. Fly, Fight, Win! #USAF

The third Friday in September, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, honors U.S. servicemembers who were taken as prisoners of war or who are still missing in action. On this day, we recognize the resilience and strength of those who endured unimaginable hardships or never came home.

Ret. FDNY Tim Brown recalls Firefighter Michael Lynch of Ladder 4, a man with the training, the experience, and every tool needed to save those trapped. He was the angel sent to save those people, freeing three women from an elevator after a terrifying 70-foot drop when Flight 175 struck the South Tower. Moments later, the tower collapsed, and he lost his life. The last thing he said to Tim was, "I got it." A courageous hero who stayed in the South Tower because people needed him.

On September 11, 2001, as conditions deteriorated quickly firefighters were ordered out of the building, directly by name in some cases, refused to leave. “I refuse the order” was heard over comms systems, because they knew people desperately needed their help. Heroism, bravery and intestinal fortitude - the number of lives saved that day by members of the FDNY can never be fully measured.

After the first plane hit the North Tower, it was unimaginable. Once the second plane hit the South Tower, Ret. FDNY Tim Brown and others in the North Tower lobby knew in an instant that the United States was under attack. The firefighters went to war armed with nothing but tools of rescue. And they understood, even then, that the hundreds being sent up those stairwells would lose their lives that day helping to save innocent ones. #September11 #NeverForget

A firefighter's oath is a formal, solemn promise: to protect their community, uphold the law, and faithfully execute their duties, whatever the risk to themselves. As Tim Brown, retired FDNY and 9/11 survivor, puts it, every firefighter who fulfills that oath is performing an act of the greatest love. On September 11, 2001 that's exactly what happened. In the last act of their lives, firefighter after firefighter put their community and their fellow man before themselves. #September11 #NeverForget

Twenty-five years ago, brave people answered the call in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. They were firefighters and police officers, paramedics and volunteers, soldiers and civilians. Some had trained for moments like this. Many had not. All of them showed up. Today we say thank you. Not just for that day, but for every day since, for carrying the memory forward, for honoring the lost, and for reminding us what it looks like when people give everything they have for one another. We are grateful. We remember. We will never forget.

Ret. FDNY Tim Brown describes the first impact of the plane as it hit the World Trade Center North Tower on September 11, 2001 as nothing short of Armageddon. Unless you saw it, you couldn't have imagined it. But first responders didn't need to imagine what came next. The moment they understood what was happening, they went into action. People were counting on them. And in the face of the unthinkable, their professionalism never wavered. #September11 #NeverForget

Twenty-five years ago today, the world stopped turning. Two months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, @OfficialJackson debuted a song that had come to him in the middle of the night weeks earlier. “I didn't want to forget about how I felt and how I knew other people felt that day." Today, on the 25th anniversary, we remember the 2,977 lives lost on September 11, 2001, and everyone who has carried that morning with them ever since. We will never forget.

25 years ago, Brad Shober was a firefighter with the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department. When he heard about Flight 93, he didn’t hesitate. A plane had gone down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and as a volunteer firefighter, showing up is what you do. What Brad found that day—and what he has carried with him for 25 years—is the weight of 40 lives, and the knowledge that those 40 people chose to act when they didn’t have to. Their bravery continues to carry meaning. Their sacrifice is not forgotten. #September11 #NeverForget

Ret. FDNY Tim Brown was working in the mayor’s Emergency Management Operations Center, located at 7 World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Even with extensive training and practice, no one could have known what was to come that fateful day. #September11 #NeverForget