Photo By Staff Sgt. Laura Virtue | Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead (center), the adjutant general of Maryland, Maryland...... read more read more
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The Maryland National Guard held its annual Fallen Warrior Memorial ceremony the day after the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 at the 5th Regiment Armory as a tribute to service members who died in defense of the nation, September 12, 2026.
Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, the adjutant general of Maryland, Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families, Secretary Edward Rothstein, and Command Sgt. Maj. Larry LeCates, MDNG command senior enlisted leader, participated in the wreath-laying as part of the official party and rendered a salute during the playing of Taps by the Maryland Army National Guard’s 229th Army Band.
The honor guard also placed a dog tag on a ceremonial battlefield cross for each war where Maryland Guard members were killed in action, including Maryland’s 12 soldiers from the Global War on Terror.
“Combat is personal, courage is personal, and service is personal,” said Birckhead. “We are all people whose lives were changed by the deadly attacks in 2001, and we are surrounded by people who made it personal to dedicate their lives to making sure that it never happens again. This responsibility to our fallen warriors and to the nation they served inspires us and compels us to live a life worthy of their sacrifice.”
Rothstein, who is a retired U.S. Army colonel with more than 30 years of service and deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, reflected on those who serve today.
“Remembrance is not passive,” said Rothstein. “To truly honor someone’s memory is to carry something of them to allow the way they lived, served, and sacrificed to shape what we do next. In the Maryland National Guard, you ensure their memory is not only a blessing, but a mission. You are the living, breathing continuation of that promise to prosper in peace.”
One of those who were remembered was Chief Warrant Officer 4 William R. Ruth, who was killed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Ruth served as a military aviator for more than 36 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and the Maryland Army National Guard. He spent more than 25 of those years assigned to the original aviation facility at the Edgewood Area. During his military career, he completed more than 800 combat aviation missions in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm.
“This ceremony is a reminder of our freedom, and that freedom is not free,” said Birckhead. “It’s a reminder that this nation is linked to the strength and resilience of our people. The history book records every date and every decision, but we, the people, tell the story of our fallen warriors - our people, our legacy.”
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2026 14:31 |
| Story ID: | 574901 |
| Location: | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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