'Never forget': 7th Special Forces Group runs 9.11km to honor victims of Sept. 11 attacks

Silence hung in the air Friday as members of the Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) bowed their heads in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and those killed in the years following.

After Sept. 11, 2001, members of the 7th Group were deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom for 20 years. And every year, soldiers, families and alumni of the 7th Group have held a 9/11 memorial run and service in their honor.

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"We must remember the 9/11 generation that has shouldered the security of our nation. America's warrior class that for over 20 years scarified all in the name of freedom," said Dennis Castellanos, command chief warrant officer of the 7th Special Forces Group.

This year's memorial service began early Friday morning at Camp Bull Simons on the Eglin Air Force Base. A little over 1,000 people gathered behind a stone memorial bearing the names of fallen soldiers. Many were deployed to Afghanistan.

As the crowd bowed their heads in prayer, they were asked to remember the first responders and civilians who died Sept. 11, 2001, the families whose lives were forever altered, and the soldiers killed in action in the subsequent Global War on Terrorism.

"We should never forget the feelings of disbelief, sadness and anger felt on that day,"” Castellanos said. "...Those attacks may have shaken the foundations of our tallest buildings, but they do not shake the foundations of our resolve."

As Catellanos addressed the crowd, an American flag he said symbolized "defiance to our enemies" waved in the distance. The flag was hung between two ladder trucks from the Crestview and Eglin Air Force Base Fire Departments.

First responders from the Fort Walton Beach Police Department and Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office also were in attendance.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said many first responders still vividly remember where they were when the first plane hit the World Trade Center in New York City.

"I remember my brother had called me and told me about the first plane hitting the tower. At that point we didn't know that it was an act of terrorism," he said. "I pulled over into the Shalimar Ocean City-Wright Fire Department substation and watched the rest of the events unfold that morning."

Castellanos said it was a day that "forever changed the United States." The images and concern for loved ones was what motivated some to take action, and the 7th Group became heavily involved in military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Many of our staff either directly served in the military or have family members that have served such as I have, and we just want to thank all of you that have scarified during this fight in the longest war in America's history," Aden told the crowd Friday.

As the ceremony drew to a close, Capt. Jordan Furtado read the names of the 50 members of the 7th Special Forces Group who were killed in action after Sept. 11, 2001. The crowd then paused for a moment of silence in their honor.

"I urge everyone to take a moment to remember the lives lost and the sacrifices made, and to be unified in always being relentless in defending our way of life," Castellanos said. "Always remaining vigilant and never forgetting Sept. 11, 2001.”

At 6:50 a.m., the firetrucks sounded their sirens and a pair of F-22 Raptors from the 325th Operational Support Squadron flew over the base, signaling a start to the 9.11km run. The route spanned close to 5.6 miles across the base.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: 7th Special Forces Group marks anniversary of 9/11 with memorial run