Today marks 25 years since September 11, 2001, and I wanted to pause and use this space to remember instead of talk real estate.
San Diego is a military town through and through — I work with so many active-duty families and veterans here that this anniversary hits differently in this community, and I know a lot of you feel that too.
How San Diego Is Marking the Day
The city's observances actually started before sunrise: at 5:46 a.m. this morning, U.S. Customs and Border Protection briefly paused northbound traffic at the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, and Calexico West ports of entry — timed to 8:46 a.m. Eastern, the moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center's North Tower 25 years ago.
The University of San Diego held a remembrance and interfaith prayer for peace at 8:30 a.m., followed by a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at USD's Palomar Health Student Wellness Center, where participants climbed the equivalent of 110 stories — the height of each Twin Tower — on stair-climbing machines. In Chula Vista, local businesses are providing appreciation meals to fire stations and police headquarters throughout the day. And this afternoon, one of the county's largest commemorations is taking place aboard the USS Midway Museum.
Why This One Hits Home Here
So much of what I do involves military families — relocating in and out of San Diego, buying their first home near base, figuring out VA loans and timelines around deployment. September 11 isn't abstract for that community. It's personal, and it shaped a lot of the lives and careers of the people I work with every day.
A Day Meant for Service, Too
Congress designated September 11 as Patriot Day back in 2001, and in 2009 it also became the National Day of Service and Remembrance — one of only two federally recognized days of service in the country, alongside Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The point of that second title is to turn the anniversary into something active: not just remembering, but giving back.
If you're able today, take a moment. Thank a service member or first responder, fly your flag, or just pause wherever you are. Twenty-five years on, San Diego is still showing up for this — and that says something good about the community we all call home.
— Lynne