Colonial Flag Foundation marks 25 years since 9/11 with Healing Field events

The Colonial Flag Foundation is using free Healing Field events across the country to mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 and help communities remember the people who served and sacrificed after the attacks. The effort aims to turn remembrance into a visible, public experience as firsthand memory of 9/11 fades.

Why it matters: - The 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 arrives as fewer people have firsthand memory of the attacks. - The Colonial Flag Foundation is trying to keep the personal stories behind 9/11 visible for younger generations. - Free Healing Field events give communities a public place to honor victims, responders and service members.

What happened: - The Colonial Flag Foundation is marking the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with Healing Field® events across the country. - The foundation said the effort is rooted in a question Paul Swenson asked in Sandy, Utah, after the attacks: “What can I do?” - Swenson wanted a way to make the scale of the sacrifice visible and create a place where people could pause, reflect and remember individuals behind the numbers. - Communities are invited to attend free Healing Field events open to the public.

The details: - The Colonial Flag Foundation says the organization began 24 years ago with Swenson’s idea after Sept. 11, 2001. - The foundation grew through support from cities, schools, civic groups, businesses, volunteers and communities. - Those partnerships have helped support veterans, first responders and their families. - The foundation uses American flags displayed across fields and communities as a visual reminder of remembrance. - Each flag is meant to represent more than a symbol and to connect Sept. 11 with the people who responded and the generations that followed. - The Colonial Flag Foundation is a Utah-based nonprofit dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans, first responders and their families with Healing Fields® and Fields of Honor® installed in communities across the U.S. - The organization also says it works through community partnerships, educational efforts and acts of remembrance to preserve the stories of those who served. - The release includes the foundation’s social links for Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The message is as much about continuity as commemoration. - The foundation is framing remembrance as an active responsibility, not a one-day observance. - The emphasis on stories, service and visible displays suggests an effort to make a historical event emotionally accessible to people born after 2001.

What's next: - Healing Field events will continue as public spaces for reflection, honor and community gathering around the Sept. 11 anniversary. - The foundation says it will keep using these events to help future generations understand the significance of the sacrifice made after the attacks.

The bottom line: - The Colonial Flag Foundation is turning the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 into a nationwide reminder that remembrance is a shared civic duty.