Patriot Day events took place yesterday at more than 60 VA national cemeteries to honor the memory of those lost on September 11, 2001. The effort was consistent with Public Law 107-89, which encourages all Americans to do the same each year on that same date. Patriot Day is a national day of remembrance honoring the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the terrorist attacks of 2001, as well as the countless first responders and service members who have answered the call to serve in the days, months, and years that followed.

As it has in the past, VA’s National Cemetery Administration partnered with the nonprofit organization “Carry the Load” to host events across the nation that allow volunteers to observe Patriot Day. Activities included opportunities for volunteers to clean headstones and participate in other small beautification projects on the grounds of the cemeteries.

A number of veterans and dependents of veterans who passed away as a result of the September 11 attacks are buried in VA national cemeteries, with the most at Calverton and Long Island national cemeteries in New York.