LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Joint Base San Antonio military installations and local communities are joining together to honor fallen heroes of the Sept. 11 terror attacks with the following weekend events.
Alamo Plaza Commemoration
This observance will be held Sept. 11, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Alamo Plaza. The morning ceremony pays tribute at the exact moments, 10 years ago, when countless lives were lost. After a welcome from San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, remarks will also be given by Gen. Edward A. Rice, commander of Air Education and Training Command, and Lt. Gen. Guy Swan, Army North commanding general, as well as the chiefs of the San Antonio police and fire departments. Gold Star families, who have lost immediate family members in Iraq and Afghanistan, will be offered special seating. The event features a joint service color guard, as well as patriotic music from a combined Army/Air Force band. The commemoration is open to the public.
2011 Freedom Walk & Run
Sponsored in part by Operation Homefront of Texas, the event is in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Join Fort Sam Houston as it honors military families and first responders at the Jimmy Brought Fitness Center Sept. 10. This is a non-competitive event. Strollers and pets are welcome on the 5K run and one-mile walk. Runners will leave the starting line at 8:30 a.m. and are advised to arrive at least 30 minutes prior for late registration and a safety briefing. The first 500 registrants will receive a T-shirt. Registration forms are available at http://www.fortsamhoustonmwr.com/vsm/pages/408/5-817201150126.pdf and can be dropped off at the fitness center. For more information, call 221-1234 or visit
www.operationhomefront.net/texas.
9/11 Reveille & Taps
Lackland Air Force Base military personnel are welcome to fall in for a 9/11 Remembrance Reveille and Taps ceremony Sept. 9, 6:30 a.m., at the headquarters 37th Training Wing flagpole.
AFISRA Remembrance Ceremony
The Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency at Lackland hosts a remembrance ceremony Sept. 9, 11 a.m., in the Bernard A. Larger Auditorium, Bldg. 2000. A guest speaker and reception is scheduled.
Gaylor 9/11 Remembrance Run
Lackland's Robert D. Gaylor Noncommissioned Officer Academy hosts a 9/11 Remembrance Run Sept. 11 to honor the lives lost during the terrorist attacks. For more information, call Tech. Sgt. Marygail Harmon at (210) 671-0321, or Senior Airman Elizabeth Valentin at (210) 671-3766.
Randolph Base Theater 9/11
Retired Air Force Chief of Chaplains Maj. Gen. Charles Baldwin will speak at the Randolph Air Force Base Theater Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. Baldwin was in the Pentagon when one of the hijacked commercial airplanes struck the building. The theme for the one-hour event is "Stones Cry Out ... Again: A 10 Year Commemoration of 9/11," and Baldwin will reflect on 10 years of change since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Air Force Band of the West will play selected songs, including the Air Force Hymn. Parking is limited so participants are asked to arrive promptly. Everyone with access to the base is welcomed to attend.
Tunnel to Towers 5K Run
The Stephen Siller Tunnels to Towers Run starts at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at the Alamo. The race pays tribute to New York firefighter Stephen Siller who, having worked all night was off duty on Sept. 11, 2001 when he heard the first plane had hit the World Trade Center.
He returned to his company, Squad 1, to get his gear, and then took his last heroic steps to the World Trade Center. When he drove his truck to Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, it was already closed to traffic. With 60 pounds of gear strapped to his back, he ran through the tunnel. Siller perished in the towers with 342 other NYFD firefighters. Early registration is $25 and costs $30 the day of the race. The 5K run begins on North Alamo Street at Peacock Alley, across the street from the Federal Building and ends in front of Dillard's on Alamo Street, near Pat O'Brian's. Showtime is 9:05 a.m. Register online at
www.tunneltotowersrun.org/san_antonio.aspx. Online registration closes at 10 a.m. Sept. 10.
Converse 9/11 Memorial
The William M. Randolph American Legion Post 593 and the city of Converse will hold a 10th anniversary memorial service Sept. 11, beginning at 8 a.m. in Converse City Park, 305 School St. A reception at the Legion Post, 326 W. Legion Drive in Converse follows the ceremony. The public is encouraged to attend both events.
Universal City Heroes Walk
Universal City hosts its third annual 9/11 Heroes Walk Sept. 11, 6-8 p.m., at the Universal City Park Pavilion, 302 North Blvd. The event is free. For more information, call (210) 659-0333, ext. 721. Download a registration form online at
www.universalcitytexas.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=580.
Seguin Patriot's Day
The Seguin 9/11 10th Anniversary Commemoration is Sept. 11, 7-10 p.m., at Central Park in downtown Seguin. The event honors all present and past military, law enforcement, fire fighters, and emergency medical responders.
9/11 Heroes Run
San Antonio's first Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes 5K Run will be held Sept. 11, 5 p.m., at the Al Becken Pavilion in McAllister Park, 13102 Jones Maltsberger Rd.
The 9/11 Heroes Run was created after the combat death of Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, who was on his second deployment to Iraq. Manion spent a day and night with the firefighters of Rescue One in New York City, most of whom lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Cost per person is $25 and includes a T-shirt, commemorative dog tags and other prizes. For more information, go online to www.911heroesrun.com or
www.travismanion.com.
9/11 Relay & Ultra-marathon
Sponsored by the nonprofit group Soldier's Angels, the nighttime event takes place Sept. 10 at Olmos Basin Park in San Antonio. Start time is 10 p.m. Teams made up of nine runners will run a relay race - one-mile loop - for 9 hours and 11 minutes, or a single ultra-marathoner for the duration. Check in location is the parking lot on the west side of Devine Drive at the corner of Friedrich and Devine. At 7:46 a.m. Sept. 11, there will be a moment of silence for Flight 11 and the North Tower victims followed by a color guard performance and the playing of the National Anthem. At 8:03 a.m., another moment of silence will be observed for Flight 175 and the victims of the South Tower, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. A moment of silence will follow at 8:37 a.m. in observance of those who perished on Flight 77 and victims of the Pentagon attack. The event ends the morning of Sept. 11 and will be followed by an awards ceremony and a San Antonio-style breakfast with patriotic music, and a color guard presentation. All funds raised will go to support the Soldiers' Angels' work with military personnel, veterans and military families. To register for both runs, visit
www.runintexas.com and click on "Run for Remembrance" to download an entry form.
Austin Museum 9/11 Exhibit
The Texas Military Forces Museum observes the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with the grand opening of an exhibit recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of Texas National Guardsmen. The exhibit, entitled "9-11 and Beyond: The Texas National Guard in the War on Terror," opens Sept. 10 at the Texas Military Forces Museum, on Camp Mabry, in Austin. An F-16 aircraft exhibit opens at 9 a.m. and precedes an 11 a.m. ceremony followed by the gallery opening at noon. During the past 10 years, more than 23,000 men and women from the Texas Army and Air National Guard have deployed to the battlefronts of Iraq or Afghanistan - many of them more than once. This new exhibit will highlight the significant role they've played in the War on Terror. Camp Mabry is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of the Missouri-Pacific Expressway and 35th Street in Austin. For more information about the exhibit, call (512) 782-5659.