The Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed close to 3,000 people in New York City, at the Pentagon and in a remote field in Pennsylvania occurred 25 years ago today.
This morning, Western North Carolina residents, leaders and firefighters and emergency responders take special note of that terrible event in local remembrance services.
Please follow the Citizen Times' live coverage of 9/11 events today in Asheville, Weaverville and Hendersonville.
The 9/11 attacks hit 25 years ago. They're still shaping our lives
08:26 AM ET, September 11 2026, Susan PageA quarter-century later, 9/11 still echoes.
The worst terrorist attack in U.S. history has been followed by other seismic events, from a once-in-a-century global pandemic to the rise of artificial intelligence that is transforming commerce,
education and more. Nearly 100 million Americans − almost 1 in 4 − have no personal memory of the Sept. 11 attacks, born after it happened.
And yet.
The attacks continue to resonate in the lives of the families, friends and colleagues of the 2,977 victims who died and for the tens of thousands of survivors and first responders who are dealing with 9/11-related health issues.
In a spiderweb that has spread through the nation's laws, economy, warfare and culture, its repercussions are also felt by just about every American. Some of the questions it raised remain unsettled.
Read more by USA TODAY political reporter Susan Page here.
Mars Hill resident, who piloted a jetliner on 9/11, reflects on experience 25 years later
08:23 AM ET, September 11 2026, Johnny CaseyMars Hill resident and longtime United Airlines pilot Chuck Arthur remembers still the beauty of the sky in Tokyo after a typhoon had cleared out of the area and the flight he was captaining was departing on Sept. 10, 2001.
But what the former Vietnam fighter pilot would experience throughout the next roughly 12 hours is what he will carry with him forever.
Arthur, 80, who grew up in Candler, was the chief pilot on the United 747 flight from Tokyo to Honolulu, carrying roughly 400 passengers on that fateful day. The plane, a Boeing 747-400, featured a partial double-deck configuration rather than two full decks running the entire length of the aircraft, with the upper deck sitting only over the front third of the aircraft, which included the pilots' bunk room.
Arthur said he's maybe more reflective heading into the 25-year anniversary of Sept. 11 than in years past, as he slowly beings to process the PTSD he suffered on that fateful day.
He said he couldn't help but to wonder if the numerous synchronicities on that fateful day suggested perhaps he had someone watching over him, or that he was preordained to be the one in charge of captaining the plane amid the chaos and uncertainty of both staff and passengers.
As the three-person pilot team routinely takes shifts throughout the roughly 12-hour flight, Arthur, remembers being in the bunk room when his co-pilot, Barry, knocked on the door to alert him that something was amiss.
"I laid down and I was just getting comfortable, and somebody was shaking my foot. I said, 'What's going on?' He said, 'I don't know,'" Arthur said. "I had drifted off to sleep. That was the only time I slept on an airplane. And I'm telling you, I needed that hour's sleep before that day was over."
Read more by the Citizen Times' Black Mountain reporter Johnny Casey here.
Details on 2026 9/11 remembrance events in WNC
08:20 AM ET, September 11 2026Here is what you need to know about three WNC 9/11 events marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.
Asheville Fire Department ceremony
The city of Asheville's website announced the 8:45 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, event. Here are highlights:
"The event will honor the lives lost, the bravery of first responders, and the resilience of our nation.
"The ceremony will take place outside the Asheville Municipal Building, 100 Court Square Plaza, at 8:45 a.m. and is open the public. Community members are encouraged to join city leaders, first responders, and honored guests as Asheville pays tribute to those affected by the events of 9/11.
"Featured speakers will include representatives from the Asheville Fire Department, Asheville Police Department, and the City Manager’s Office. Their remarks will reflect on the impact of 9/11 both nationally and locally, and underscore Asheville’s ongoing commitment to public safety and community resilience.
"Asheville Fire Department’s Honor Guard will present the colors and lead special tributes throughout the ceremony, including a moment of silence and the traditional ringing of the bell in memory of fallen firefighters and victims."
Weaverville 9/11 ceremony
The Weaverville Community Center posted these details on its Facebook page about the Sept. 11, 2001,, remembrance ceremony at the center:
"We now observe Patriot Day annually on September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance for the thousands of lives lost in the 9/11 attacks.
"Please join us as we honor those individuals. The Ceremony will begin at 11am with words by Stuart Lampkin and Air Force Colonel Hank Shinn with music from Hominy Valley A-Cappella Christian Men’s Choir."
Henderson County remembrance event
Henderson County residents and leaders and fire and public-safety and emergency-response personnel will gather at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, for an annual memorial service marking the anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The event takes place at the Historic Courthouse, 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Hendersonville, North Carolina.
"The theme is reverence, remembrance, reflection," said Mike Morgan, chief communications officer for Henderson County.
After the presenting of colors and recitation of The Pledge of Allegiance, public-safety personnel will make remarks. The ceremony will close with the playing of "Taps," Morgan said.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: WNC remembers 9/11 on 25th anniversary with memorial events | Live
