Members of the U.S. Submarine Base in New London held their annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony on Thursday.
They honored the 2977 victims who were lost that day. Four hundred and eleven of those were first responders.
Master Chief Sean DeGraff of the Naval Submarine School led the commemoration.
“Today our New London Navy community comes together with our southeastern Connecticut community to remember this 24th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks upon our nation,” DeGraff said. “We remember that fateful day and reflect on the two decades that have passed since. We will also retire some worn, but no less revered symbols of our Nation and our unshakeable spirit. We will conduct a special Flag Retirement Ceremony.”
A six-volley gun salute rang out to commemorate the significant moments of the day, as well as the retiring of an American flag.
At the ceremony, Groton’s Jackson LaFlash, 15, played a rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’.
“I have personally gone to New York multiple times and seen movies that were pre-2001 and seen the Twin Towers,” LaFlash said. “It’s a site that I wish I could have gotten to see, but unfortunately, I couldn’t because of what happened.”
2026 will mark 25 years since the terror attacks, and will coincide with America’s 250th anniversary.
