Waves of Remembrance

A garden of 3,000 small American flags planted on the front lawn of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union–Center for Student Life marks the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Staff in the university’s Office of Veteran Student Life and members of the TerpVets student veteran organization organized the “Operation: Stick-it” effort yesterday afternoon to install the flags representing each of the people killed at the World Trade Center in New York City, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa. They will remain standing through today.

The event has dramatically changed since its start in 2013, when a small handful of student veterans clandestinely installed the flags on McKeldin Mall at nighttime as a pop-up installation. 

“After it got such a great reception, we used it as a way to get more people together,” said David Reese, coordinator of veteran student life at UMD. 

Now, dozens of people participate in the afternoon flag-planting, such as members of the Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC units, the Muslim Student Association and first responders. 

Memorial Chapel will also mark today’s anniversary with a noon interfaith service in the Garden of Reflection and Remembrance to remember the victims and others affected by terrorism. Led by the Rev. Holly Ulmer of the United Campus Ministry, it will include music and student speakers reflecting on terrorism past and present. Visitors are welcome to walk the meditative labyrinth afterward.