UK ROTC programs to host 9/11 memorial vigil
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Army and Air Force ROTC programs, in coordination with UK Pershing Rifles, will host their annual 9/11 memorial vigil on Thursday, Sept. 11, honoring the lives lost during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The event will begin at 8:46 a.m. on the front lawn of UK's Main Building — the exact time the first plane struck the World Trade Center. Throughout the day, UK ROTC cadets will take turns reading the names of those who died, while a member of the Pershing Rifles maintains a ceremonial guard at the flag.
Members of the UK Perishing Rifles program will also set up approximately 8,000 flags on the Main Building lawn in the hours before the ceremony begins, to honor lives lost in the attacks and in the wars that followed.
Organizers say this year’s vigil emphasizes the theme of service. Local first responders — including members of UK Police, Lexington Police and Lexington Fire — will join UK cadets for the opening ceremony.
“This event honors the sacrifice of the men and women who gave their lives on that day, and recognizes the service members in our community who continue to protect us,” said Lily Callahan, sophomore cadet who is helping organize the memorial.
The university community and public are invited to attend and reflect during this day of remembrance.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.