The Roanoke Star will shine red, white and blue beginning today through Sunday in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Tomorrow marks 25 years since the attacks that changed America forever.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. Two were flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both towers to collapse. A third plane struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 93 fought back against the hijackers before the plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks — 2,753 in New York, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 aboard Flight 93. Among those lost were hundreds of first responders, including 343 New York City firefighters.
For Roanoke, one of the region’s most recognizable landmarks will serve as a patriotic memorial in the night sky.
The Roanoke Star, also known as the Mill Mountain Star, was first illuminated on November 23, 1949. Originally built as a Christmas-season attraction by the Roanoke Merchants Association, it became a permanent symbol of the city and helped give Roanoke its nickname, “The Star City of the South.” The 88.5-foot structure is recognized by the City of Roanoke as the world’s largest freestanding illuminated man-made star.
This weekend, its red, white and blue lights will carry a much deeper meaning.
🇺🇸 We remember the lives lost. We remember the heroes. We remember September 11, 2001.