Members of team White Sands Missile Range remembered Sept. 11, 2001, during a solemn commemoration ceremony at the Post Chapel on Sept. 11, 2025.
The event started with the WSMR honor guard placing a wreath in remembrance of the more than 3,000 lives lost.
WSMR Senior Commander Col. Andrew Morgan welcomed members of the community to the ceremony.
“Today we’re gathered to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and we’re acknowledging the shared grief and the enduring impact of that day,” Morgan said. “Twenty-four years ago, America suffered a profound loss, a loss felt by every community, every family, and every individual across our nation.”
He then introduced guest speaker White Sands Test Center Director, Col. Matt Johnson.
“Coincidentally, Matt was commissioned in 2001, he answered the call to duty during a time of national crisis and has consistently demonstrated unwavering commitment throughout his distinguished career. From deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, to leadership roles within the Army’s acquisition enterprise, Col. Johnson has always placed the mission and his fellow Soldiers above all else,” Morgan said.
After taking the podium Johnson thanked everyone for their attendance.
“Today, we gather to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001. A day that forever altered the course of our nation claiming nearly 3,000 innocent lives and transformed countless others,” Johnson said. “For many in our community, including myself, (that event) has defined the purpose and direction of our service for decades to come.”
Johnson said he was three months into an infantry officer basic course at Fort Benning, Georgia when he was informed that the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane.
“In those initial moments, like most Americans, we didn’t fully comprehend the magnitude of what was unfolding,” Johnson said. “There was a palpable sense that our purpose as Soldiers had suddenly become more urgent and more real.”
“September 11 marked the beginning of what would become two decades of continuous conflict.”
“Here at White Sands Missile Range, we understand the critical importance of national security better than most. For the past 80 years, White Sands has been at the forefront of developing and testing the technologies to protect our nation from the early days of rocket development to today’s advanced missile defense systems,” Johnson said. “The work done here directly contributes to America’s ability to deter threats and to defend our homeland.”
In the aftermath of 9/11 Johnson said the mission of WSMR took on renewed significance.
“The technologies developed and tested on these grounds have been deployed to protect our troops overseas and secure our nation at home. The dedicated civilian and military personnel at White Sands have worked tirelessly to ensure that America maintains the technological edge necessary to prevent another attack on our soil.”
“Today we remember not just the lives lost on that September day but also the sacrifice of more than 7,000 warfighters who gave their lives in the wars that followed and the countless others who returned home forever changed,” Johnson said. “We remember the first responders who rushed towards danger while others fled.”
“We remember the ordinary citizens who performed extraordinary acts of courage,” Johnson said holding back tears. “We remember how our nation came together in a spirit of unity and resolve. And we remember that the freedoms we enjoy are not free. They are purchased with vigilance, service and sometimes the ultimate sacrifice.”
“May we honor the memory of those we lost by how we live our lives and how we serve our nation.”
Rene Garza, WSMR Fire Chief, said the 9/11 ceremony reminded him of the sacrifices first responders made on that day.
“It is a flashback of where we were when it happened. It is a good remembrance of all the people that gave their lives, not just firefighters, but police and the people in the field in Pennsylvania. We don’t want to forget them,” Garza said. “We want new generations to remember that this was a difficult time in American history that continues to affect how we live and operate every day. It means a lot to us to remember all those who lost their lives.”
The ceremony ended with a final call tribute and the playing of Taps.
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