Patriot Day Flags Lowered to Honor 9/11 Victims Across States

SEATTLE — Flags will be lowered to half-staff across Washington state on Thursday to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Governor Bob Ferguson has directed that both Washington state and U.S. flags be flown at half-staff at all state agencies until close of business or sunset.

Patriot Day memorializes the lives lost when al-Qaeda hijackers crashed two planes into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City, causing massive destruction. A third hijacked plane struck the Pentagon in Virginia. In total, 2,996 people were killed in the attacks.

Last month, New York City officials identified the remains of three 9/11 victims using evolving DNA technology. The identified individuals included Ryan D. Fitzgerald, a 26-year-old currency trader, and Barbara A. Keating, a 72-year-old retired nonprofit executive, along with another woman whose name was kept confidential at her family’s request.

In the U.S., the term “half-staff” refers to flags flown at a lowered position on land, while “half-mast” is used for flags lowered at sea. The observance of Patriot Day remains an important tradition rooted in memories of that tragic day.

In Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly also announced that flags will be lowered from sunup to sundown on Thursday, Sept. 11. Kelly emphasized the importance of honoring nearly 3,000 American lives lost during the attack. “We will never forget the horrific tragedy that occurred 24 years ago,” she stated.

Flags will similarly fly at half-staff in Wisconsin, where Governor Tony Evers declared Thursday as a Day of Service and Remembrance. He encouraged residents to participate in acts of kindness and community service, saying, “We will never forget.”

This ongoing observance underscores the lasting impact of the events of September 11, 2001, and the continuous effort to remember those who were lost.