Photo By Mark Orders-Woempner | Jill Fewell, Daughters of the American Revolution Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter...... read more read more
From the ashes of 9/11 rose a rallying cry of ‘Never Forget,’ and dozens of first responders, community leaders, Soldiers, veterans and members of the public came together in Indianapolis to ensure the memory of 9/11 was not forgotten this Patriot Day.
U.S. Army Col. Shaun D. McMurchie, 45th Finance Center director, and his fellow Soldiers and civilians from the U.S. Army Financial Management Command joined the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Indianapolis Fire Department’s Station 13, police officers from various agencies and members of the public to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks during a commemoration ceremony at the Indiana 9/11 Memorial in Indianapolis Sept. 11, 2025.
Jill Fewell, DAR Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter regent, hosted the event alongside the canal in downtown Indianapolis, with fellow DAR members Vanessa Burkhart and Janet Shelton joining McMurchie in laying wreaths at the memorial.
“As we pause on this September 11 to remember the horrible attacks on our country 24 years ago today, may we also remember the thousands of first responders and volunteers who risked their very lives to save others,” said Fewell during the ceremony. “Nearly 3,000 souls were lost that day and more have left us as they suffered from the aftermath of Ground Zero, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
“This was my generation’s Pearl Harbor, and I still remember the feelings we felt as we came together, unified,” she continued. “Today, we continue to move forward while never forgetting.”
Established in 2010, and expanded for the 20th anniversary in 2021, the Indiana 9/11 Memorial honors those who perished in the 9/11 attacks, and the U.S. service members who have lost their lives since in the Global War on Terror.
The memorial consists of two 11,000-pound beams from the Twin Towers, a pair of six-foot tall black granite walls inscribed with remembrances of the events in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The 2010 expansion included a Pentagon Stone, A Survivor Tree, Military Monument and a “Never Forget Wall.”
After rendering honors to the nation with both the Pledge of Allegiance and the “Star Spangled Banner,” Greg Hess, a retired Indianapolis Fire Department firefighter and paramedic, delivered keynote remarks.
In his remarks, Hess talked about his time at Ground Zero, his subsequent cancer struggles resulting from his time there, and his 22-month effort to establish the Indiana 9/11 Memorial. In 2001, Hess was a member of Indiana Task Force 1, which spent eight days in New York assisting the local agencies in the rescue and recovery efforts.
Immediately following the formal ceremony, veterans, law enforcement officers, firefighters and members of the public participated in a memorial 5k run.
Before the run began, Officer Jennifer Highwood, Lawrenceburg Police Department, presented Hess a 5k run medal to Hess to recognize him for his service as a first responder on 9/11 and for his efforts in bringing the Indiana 9/11 Memorial into reality.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2025 12:12 |
| Story ID: | 548074 |
| Location: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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