Minnesotans honor those killed in the 9/11 attacks and during the aftermath

As the sun rose Saturday morning, so did hundreds of Minnesotans in remembrance of 9/11 at the Minnesota State Capitol. People of different ranks gathered, facing a raised U.S. flag.

Bells tolled as people read the names of the seven Minnesotans who died in the Sept. 11 attacks and those who died in the hostile actions that followed. Family members of lost ones stood at the steps and spoke of their loved ones’ service.

At 7:46 a.m, the crowd held a moment of silence to honor those killed on Flight 11, which struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center 20 years ago. People stood in silence again at 8:03 a.m, 8:37 a.m, and 9:03 a.m., remembering the moments that Flights 175, 77 and 93 crashed.

Following the reading of names, the drum group Spirit Boy from the Red Lake Nation performed a Veteran Song in honor of all those who have served. Native Americans have historically served at a rate five times higher than the general population, according to the event host, Tom Lyons.

Families with young children sat on the lawn as the orchestra played Amazing Grace.

Gold Star mother Jill Stephenson, whose son, Cpl. Benjamin Kopp, died in 2009 in Afghanistan, recalled the moment her son became passionate about serving in the military following 9/11.

“9/11 was personal to him. It mocked his great grandfather’s service to America. He made a vow on that day that he was going to make someone pay and that he was going to protect the world from that ever happening again,” Stephenson said. “He spoke with such conviction on 9/11 that I knew it was his destiny, and I could not stand in the way of what he was meant to become.”

As she spoke, members of the audience embraced each other. Others stood farther away from the crowd, overcome by emotion.

Rachel Seals of Hopkins attended to honor those like Kopp who gave their lives, she said. Like Kopp, 9/11 was the spark that led many in her family, including her brother, to join the military.

“I just wanted to be here for honoring those who gave their lives, and what this event meant for our country at some point, and hopefully still does,” she said. “It’s beautiful that people are showing up … for something that’s about the death of innocent people and the integrity of our nation. It’s powerful.”

Seals saw firsthand how the military had changed those in her life, she said.

“What is hard is seeing what service does to a person. The whole family feels it, the whole family sees, when a person leaves that you care a lot about, they don’t come back the same,” she said.

That sentiment was echoed by Jeanne Ullmer, a mother of someone who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“It changes you as a family, but it also changes your child and his experiences,” Ullmer said. “We don’t get a lot of stories about his time overseas, but it definitely changed him and everything about him, the way he behaves.”

It’s been 20 years since Mariah Jacobson’s biological father, Thomas Burnett of Bloomington, died when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania. Jacobson, who was adopted by another family, found out Tom Burnett was her biological father just when she found out he died, she said.

“20 years ago, 19 murderers robbed nearly 3,000 families like mine of opportunity, the chance to explore connections and celebrate milestones,” she said. “I felt lost. I felt connected to my father, but in a strange grief-stricken way that I could not easily articulate.”

She still looks to him to this day for hope.

“I still look for signs of him and myself, and in my kids. But even if I can’t see him, I can feel him. Each time I need to muster an extra ounce of courage or whenever I’m struggling to find light in the darkness, I feel his encouraging hand on my shoulder,” she said.

Bryan Matson, a member of Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, came to support all Gold Star families and victims.

“It’s been a hard 20 years. The saying, ‘Never forget,’ we need to keep that,” he said.

Another member of the association, Eric Cook, recalled his decision as a young adult to stick with the Navy following 9/11.

“Whatever you envisioned for your career, whatever your vision of what life was going to be like, changed. And you had to make a choice at that point. It was like, ‘Am I going to stay with this or am I going to leave?’ ” he said.

Following 9/11, he served three tours in Afghanistan. In one of his tours, a former aviation student of his died protecting his crew in an aircraft fire.

“I’ve lost a lot of friends. Whether it’s in active duty, combat, or from the scars that it leaves, like suicides,” Cook said.

To the veterans at the event, the remembrance was not unique to today.

“You never forget that. This (event) helps reiterate it, but if you served with somebody who died or you witnessed it, you’ll never forget that. It’s etched in your heart and mind forever. If you were there, it’s every day,” Cook said.