[caption id=“attachment_4023” align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“The sun rises over the main stage before the start of the Pentagon Memorial dedication ceremony Sept. 11, 2008. The national memorial is the first to be dedicated to those killed at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The site contains 184 inscribed memorial units honoring the 59 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 in the building who lost their lives that day. (DoD photo by Robert D. Ward/Released) )”][/caption]

September 11 - Patriots Day and America’s National Day of Remembrance and Service – is an opportunity for the nation to come together with a common purpose. In remembrance, we honor the service and sacrifice evidenced nine years ago. We also have the chance to look forward, and find ways to give back in our communities. We celebrate the strength of our fellow Americans, and our ability to unite as one in pursuit of making our country a better place.

Of course, the obligation to help others isn’t limited to one day. As a nation, we’re bound by so many ideas we hold in common, not least of which is the belief in an unerring sense of resiliency and a spirit of hope. Find a way to help others, and you’ll make your community - and all of us - a little stronger.

Please visit the 9/11 National Day of Service website to find out how you can get involved today.