UNCW remembers the 9/11 attacks 24 years later

Deborah Williams, Staff Writer

September 17, 2025

Some attendees of the Patriot Day Ceremony (Deborah Williams/The Seahawk).

24 years after the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, the UNCW community gathered to remember, reflect and honor the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. Although many participants did not live through that day, they value the importance of remembering.

To begin the ceremony, the Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover Sheriff’s Department presented the colors of the American and North Carolina flags. Jerome Garrison, a retired master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, sang the National Anthem.

Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover Sheriff’s Department presenting the colors (Deborah Williams/The Seahawk).

UNCW Chancellor Aswani Volety shared a few words about the tragedy and the bravery of those who responded that day and those who followed the call. He thanked first responders for their service to our country and our communities.

At precisely 8:46 a.m. — the time Flight 11 struck the North Tower — a ceremonial bell rang out. The first of several tolls marking the timeline of that tragic morning in 2001.

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Following the ceremonial bell, Bill Kawczynski, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and director of the Office of Military Affairs, introduced two veterans, one of which is a UNCW alum, to share their experience and reflections.

David Buzzard ’18, a veteran of the U.S. Army, spoke to the crowd: “Today is an infamous day in our country’s history,” he said. In the aftermath of the attacks 2, 977 people, including 441 first responders lost their lives. The price of freedom was great. “Don’t waste this moment,” Buzzard said. “Get out there and do something good.” For many, including Bobby Messick, doing good meant serving his country.

Bobby Messick at the podium, speaking to attendees (Deborah Williams/The Seahawk).

Messick, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and student at UNCW, spoke about the importance of remembrance. “Memories can be sad,” Messick said. “But there is another reason for them. They remind you of who you are and what you’ve done.” He shared stories of his time serving and the camaraderie he had. Now at UNCW, he has found a space like that for himself and other military-affiliated students in the Office of Military Affairs.

In 1947, UNC Wilmington was founded as a G.I. bill school welcoming and supporting World War II veterans pursuing higher education. Currently more than 2, 100 students at UNCW are military-affiliated. “Honor your veterans, thank them for their service and do it with your whole heart,” said Messick.

At exactly 9:03 a.m. — the time Flight 175 crashed into the South Towers in 2001 — the ceremonial bell rang again.

Tori Kelling speaking to attendees (Deborah Williams/The Seahawk).

Kawczynski invited one more speaker up. Tori Kelling, a UNCW student whose dad served in the Navy, shared her reflections about the aftermath of 9/11. Her grandfather saw people escape the Towers and the aftermath of the plane crash. Her dad lost a friend at the Pentagon. Growing up with these stories, Kelling was moved by them — so deeply that they influenced her own experiences. She visited the 9/11 museum in New York City with her aunt.

“It was cold — not the AC, which was working fantastically,” said Kelling. “It was the feeling of people’s memories.” As a military-affiliated student, she doesn’t take her freedoms lightly, whether attending school or simply being an American. “My dad came home; my friend’s dad didn’t,” she said.

For students in a UNI 101 class, attending the ceremony was also a way to get class credit. Growing up, some of these students watched the news footage or even a documentary about the 9/11 attacks as early as elementary school.

Kawczynski closed the ceremony by recognizing both first responders and veterans in the audience and noted the lives lost. “It is essential that we never forget the lessons it taught us,” said Kawczynski.

The ceremony finished with Dr. Luebke Brown playing “Taps,” a traditional tribute to fallen service members.

Dr. Luebke Brown playing “Taps” (Deborah Williams/The Seahawk).

Rudina, a UNCW student, was only able to see “Taps” from the ceremony, but it still brought back her own memories. In 2001, she was living in Albania and heard the 9/11 attacks on the news. “It was a sad day for the entire world,” Rudina said. Although she wasn’t able to attend the whole ceremony, her professor in class shared her story of being overseas at the time.

The event ended at 9:30 a.m.

At exactly 9:37 a.m. Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. in 2001. Although no bell rang out for that time, the memory echoed in the attendees’ minds. As Kawczynski said in his address to the crowd, “For a moment in time, everyone had been impacted.