MWM 9/11 Remembrance Relay - 20th Anniversary of 9/11

On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Military Women’s Memorial marked the completion of the MWM 9/11 Remembrance Relay. The Relay started 7 days prior at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA. Together with partner organizations and friends of the Memorial, we joined forces to walk 177 miles, from the Flight 93 Memorial to the Military Women’s Memorial, in honor of everyone we lost on 9/11 and as a result of that day.
We paid special tribute to the 177 military women whom we have lost in combat zones since 9/11. For 7 days, we carried backpacks with 177 yellow ribbons, one for each of the 177 women. Every day, before starting our journey, we joined hearts and hands, saying their names and the names of everyone we lost. Along the way, we thanked our first responders every opportunity we had. It was a special time of community; friendships, old and new; a special time of reflection and gratitude; a time to mourn and a time to remember - all with our renewed pledge to never forget.
Together, as we took each mindful step, we were reminded of the unity we felt as a nation the days and months following 9/11, and we vowed to rekindle that spirit of community, love for one another, and pride, which we all so desperately need. We closed out the relay on this solemn day with a group walk and ceremony. Together, on the plaza of the Military Women’s Memorial, at the gateway to this nation’s most hallowed ground, we reflected on not only the lives lost but also the heroes who came to our nation’s defense. As a community, we said their names aloud and promised to live lives worthy of their sacrifice.