Next Friday will mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

While 25 years might seem like a long time, those of us old enough to have lived through that day remember it like it was yesterday. We all know exactly where we were when we first heard about it. We all know exactly where we were when we watched that second tower fall.

In Butte, we were watching from more than 2,000 miles away. But the sights and sounds of New York, Washington, D.C. and the field in Pennsylvania hit home. They did for every American and for most of the people around the world.

That day saw 343 New York City firemen and some 40 police officers killed in the line of duty. When people were desperately trying to get out of the buildings, they were running in. Most probably had a pretty good idea that there were not going to come out, either.

This morning, I went to the Knights of Columbus Hall, where they have a terrific memorial set up to honor the fallen firefighters and police officers from that infamous day. I sat down next to the memorial in the Felix Madrazo Gym with retired Butte firefighter Bernie Boyle and current Butte-Silver Bow firefighter Shane “Bucky” Worley for an interesting and important conversation to remember Sept. 11, 2001.

Next Friday, Sept. 11, the KC will hold a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of that fateful day. A 3:30 p.m. ceremony will include a blessing from Rev. Tom Haffey and remarks from Chief Executive J.P. Gallager, Sheriff Ed Lester and Butte-Silver Bow firefighter Derek Harvey.

The ceremony will be held at the memorial, which was unveiled in March of 2002 and includes a print of a painting by Butte artist Mike Hamblin. New York City firefighter Michael O’Hanlon and New York City police officer Thomas Patrick O’Riordan traveled to Butte for that ceremony. O’Hanlon passed away from 9/11-related cancer in 2017.

Now, 25 years later, we will show that O’Hanlon and the rest of the heroes from 9/11 will never be forgotten with another service at the KC.

Following the ceremony in the gym, a video will be shown upstairs in the KC Hall. The video will include the 2002 remarks from O’Hanlon and O’Riordan.

A social will follow to give those who attend a chance to catch up and share memories of that day. It is important to remember the fallen heroes — those who died on that day and those who passed away from the exposure to hazardous materials from Ground Zero.

Everyone has stories about 9-11. That is true if you were there that day or watching it on television from Butte.

Here are the some of those stories shared by Bernie Boyle and Bucky Worley.

Today’s episode is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.