TAMPA, Fla - Veterans, first responders, active-duty military, and young cadets gathered Friday at Veterans Memorial Park for the annual Patriot Day ceremony honoring lives lost on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Veterans Memorial Park ceremony
What we know:
The annual ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Tampa brought together first responders who experienced the attacks firsthand and young JROTC members born after the tragedy.
Speakers delivered personal accounts of the tragedy while young cadets in full uniform listened.
"I feel like it's very important to keep talking about it and to keep telling people about it," said Preston Shill, a member of Durant High School's JROTC program. "Because one day, all the people who have experienced 9/11 aren't going to be here anymore."
Hillsborough County public safety
Why you should care:
Local public safety leaders emphasized the importance of younger generations maintaining the tradition of remembering the fallen.
Rob Herrin, the public safety chief for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, expressed hope that the youth in attendance will carry the memorial tradition forward.
"The pride comes in seeing the young that came to this," Herrin said. "We see these younger folks, and they see what it means to us, and I hope that is an impression that they carry forward when this event is no longer run by folks who were alive during that time."
Twin Towers steel tribute
Dig deeper:
Between speeches, the ceremony featured a rifle salute, a ringing of the bell to honor fallen firefighters, and a solemn escort of a 135-pound piece of steel from the Twin Towers.
Read: Woman set on fire by stranger at St. Pete gas station hospitalized for burns: SPPD
Attendees also viewed military working dogs from MacDill Air Force Base, an Assault Battalion from the U.S. Marine Corps, and a drone demonstration by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
After the ceremony, students could meet and talk with service professionals and take photos with them.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from interviews with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue officials and Durant High School JROTC participants who spoke at the ceremony.