Northwest Florida events offer ways to pay respects on 21st anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks

Sierra Rains, Northwest Florida Daily News
·4 min read

A number of events are being held across Northwest Florida this weekend to honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks 21 years ago.

Each year, the anniversary serves as a solemn day of remembrance. It is also a time for people to come together to show their love and support for those who have risked and sacrificed their lives serving at home and abroad.

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Here is a roundup of some of the remembrance events Friday through Sunday in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

7th Special Forces Group 9/11 Memorial Run

The Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) will be holding a memorial service Friday followed by a 9.11-kilometer run at Camp Bull Simons on Eglin Air Force Base.

The 7th Group was regularly deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom for 20 years. Each year soldiers, families and alumni of the 7th Group complete a run in memory of those lost on 9/11 and their casualties abroad.

Firefighters with the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron carry the American flag during a 5-mile memorial ruck march at Hurlburt Field on Sept. 10, 2021. Airmen, family members and community partners from across Hurlburt Field and the local area participated in the event to pay tribute to the almost 3,000 victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The memorial service will begin at 6:30 a.m., and the run is set to begin at 7 a.m. The event is open to all Department of Defense ID card holders, service members, DOD civilians and families. There is no registration required.

Niceville Exchange Club Field of Valor

The Exchange Club of Niceville, in partnership with the Fisher House of the Emerald Coast Inc., will host its 9th annual Field of Valor.

The annual event honors service members from Florida that have been killed in action while serving in Afghanistan or Iraq since Sept. 11, 2001.

A volunteer walks through the Field of Valor installation at the former Mullet Festival grounds in Niceville. The flags honor service members from Florida who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A volunteer walks through the Field of Valor installation at the former Mullet Festival grounds in Niceville. The flags honor service members from Florida who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 350 American flags, measuring 3 feet by 5 feet and mounted on 8-foot poles, will be displayed at the Mullet Festival grounds in Niceville. Each flag bears the name of a service member who gave his or her life while stationed in Afghanistan or Iraq.

The flags will be set up at 3 p.m. on Friday, with an opening ceremony set for 10 a.m. on Saturday. The public is invited to attend. The field will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and will be in place until the sponsored flag pickup at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17.

9/11 Memorial Walk at Lake DeFuniak

The DeFuniak Springs Fire Department will host a memorial walk at 9 a.m. Sunday commemorating the fallen heroes of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

This will be the ninth year first responders have met for the ceremony. It will begin with a moment of silence to reflect on memories of that day and  the fallen first responders, civilians and military service members who were killed in the attacks.

The DeFuniak Springs Fire Department will host a memorial walk Sunday commemorating the fallen heroes of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The DeFuniak Springs Fire Department will host a memorial walk Sunday commemorating the fallen heroes of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Organizers will conclude the ceremony by leading a mile-long walk. As done in years past, the walk will begin at the DeFuniak Springs Amphitheater at 1184 Circle Drive.

The public is invited, and all first responders are encouraged to wear the uniform and gear of their choice.

South Walton Fire District Memorial Run

The South Walton Fire District will hold its fifth annual 343 Memorial Run on Sunday to honor the 343 firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Firefighters will meet at the Santa Clara Regional Beach Access parking lot at 8:15 a.m.  At 8:46 a.m., dispatchers will broadcast a message regarding the attacks, followed by a moment of silence and prayer.

South Walton Fire District members will be running 3.43 miles along County Road 30A on Sunday to honor and remember the 343 firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The run will begin at the Santa Clara Regional Beach Access with firefighters circling back around at Old Florida Fish House.
South Walton Fire District members will be running 3.43 miles along County Road 30A on Sunday to honor and remember the 343 firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The run will begin at the Santa Clara Regional Beach Access with firefighters circling back around at Old Florida Fish House.

People can expect to see SWFD members running along County Highway 30A about 9 a.m. They'll be running 3.43 miles.

“This event is not necessarily a race for time,” said SWFD Fire Marshal Sammy Sanchez. “This is a way for us to honor the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001. We also look forward to the opportunity of running along another section of 30A and exposing more of our community members to this event, its purpose, and who we are at SWFD.”

This event is for SWFD members, local firefighters and family only. However, the community is encouraged to watch and cheer on the participants as they pass by.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: 9/11 events in Northwest Florida: Memorial runs, walks, Field of Valor