The sounds of bagpipes and a carillon opened the ceremony as 3 University NROTC Honor Guard members stood at attention, presenting a United States flag in the Eastman Quad at the University of Rochester Sunday afternoon.
They would continue to rotate members and pass along on the flag in 15 minute intervals, to honor the victims of 9/11.
Midshipmen 2nd Class James Doherty was one of these members, and is originally from White Plains, New York, about an hour outside of New York City.
"I remember that day, to a T. I remember pretty much everything that happened from the time that our teacher said we were going on a field trip to the high school up the road, to the day coverage stopped."
Midshipman 2nd Class Joe Kern is a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology and has participated in the event for a few years now.
“This is my 3rd time being at it personally. And I just think it’s a simple way that we can show that we still remember."
Midshipmen 1st Class Steve Loder also remembers the day clearly and how it affected his future path.
"I was probably in 1st grade, when the towers went down. But I can say with confidence that everyone in the NROTC Battalion here in Rochester, for one reason or another, why they joined, is probably linked back to 9/11. No matter how old they were."
NROTC Rochester is made up of students from University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher, and SUNY Brockport.