South King Fire & Rescue will honor the 24th anniversary of 9/11 with a memorial event from 1–2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 at Station 64 in Federal Way, in memory of the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the terrorist attacks of 2001.
The memorial is one of the few in the nation to include artifacts from all three crash sites:
- New York, NY: A steel I-beam from the World Trade Center Twin Towers that is 12-feet long and weighs 1,216 pounds. The I-beam is mounted so that it points toward New York City. The I-beam was picked up from the New York/New Jersey Port Authority by two retired firefighters and transported to Federal Way in 2011.
- Shanksville, PA: A stone was excavated from the field, which Flight 93 crashed into after Todd Beamer and other passengers and crew wrestled the plane from terrorists, preventing the plane from reaching its presumed destination of Washington, DC.
- Washington, DC: A limestone building block from where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, causing a violent explosion and fire.
These artifacts are surrounded by a black granite wall with the names of each of the 2,977 people who lost their lives in the attack, including 343 firefighters and 60 police officers.
There is also a display at the memorial of a pair of bronzed combat boots dedicated to the military personnel who continue to battle global terrorism. Behind those boots is this quote from John Kennedy’s Jan. 20, 1961, inaugural address:
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
“These pieces connect our community in Federal Way to the legacy of courage, sacrifice and unity that emerged from one of America’s darkest days,” South King Fire said in a statement.
The memorial is surrounded by a black granite wall inscribed with the names of the 2,977 victims, including 343 firefighters and 60 police officers.
It also includes bronzed combat boots dedicated to military personnel, a Callery Pear Tree like the “survivor tree” from Ground Zero, and a fountain and benches for reflection.
Inside Station 64, visitors can view photographs, personal stories and memorabilia from Sept. 11 and other national tragedies.
This year’s guest speaker is retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and former United Airlines pilot Michael F. Keenan, whose 28-year military career included missions during Operation Desert Storm and deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Japan. Keenan also flew commercial flights for United Airlines for 24 years.
- WHO: South King Fire
- WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
- WHERE: Fire Station 64, 3700 South 320th, Federal Way, WA 98001
