Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas is the latest community to receive seedlings from the Survivor Tree on the 9/11 Memorial.

The memorial announced back in September that it would give seedlings to communities that endured tragedy in recent years, partnering with Stamford, Conn.-based Bartlett Tree Expert Company, which harvested the seeds, and John Bowne High School in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, which cares for them.

Oso, Wash., and Gulfport, Miss., have also received seedlings.

The seedlings in Fort Hood honor the 16 victims and survivors of the shootings there in November 2009 and April 2014 and acknowledge the continued sacrifice of men and women who serve as well as their families.

“This tree has very deep scars, and so do our families,” Joleen Cahill, widow of the only civilian killed on Nov. 5, 2009, told the Killeen Daily Herald. “Now we can look at this tree and look at our lives and continue to heal.”

As part of the September 2014 announcement, the 9/11 Memorial, in collaboration with creative firm BBDO, published an interactive e-book called “Survivor Tree,” narrated by Whoopi Goldberg.

By Jordan Friedman, 9/11 Memorial Research and Digital Projects Associate

Donning green shirts and pink hats, about 100 young girls battling cancer visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum on Monday afternoon for a special event allowing them to commemorate and learn about the history of 9/11.

The campers from Chai Lifeline’s Camp Simcha, accompanied by medical and support staff, first attended a short presentation about Sept. 11 at the World Financial Center, where they listened to some first responders discuss their experiences from that day.

Then, they visited the memorial, placing flags around the site to honor the victims of 9/11, as well as the Survivor Tree, which was damaged at Ground Zero on 9/11 and subsequently recovered and rehabilitated.

“Our trip to the 9/11 Memorial was such a meaningful experience,” said Shaindy Lowenthal, program director for Camp Simcha. “Our special campers – heroes and survivors battling cancer, accompanied by NYPD, PAPD and FDNY heroes – shared feelings of support and heroism by tying gold ribbons with personalized messages on the Survivor Tree between the Memorial fountains. In addition, they placed American flags at the names of heroes they recognized in the memorial itself.”

By Jordan Friedman, 9/11 Memorial Research and Digital Projects Associate

9/11 Memorial President and CEO Joe Daniels directs planning, construction, development and operations for the 9/11 Memorial. Through his work, he is honored to meet many of the families, colleagues and friends, of the nearly 3,000 9/11 victims. Daniels will share his personal experiences at the memorial, and much more, in the “Thank You for Visiting” series on the MEMO blog.

The 9/11 Memorial welcomes many active and retired U.S. military service members. I have been included in reenlistment ceremonies and watched as many received medals for their duty and patriotism. These men and women deserve our gratitude and a promise that they will always be honored and remembered at this sacred place.

In honor of Veterans Day, I attended a wreath-laying ceremony near the Survivor Tree. Representatives for the United War Veterans Council, the Wounded Warriors Project, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the Vietnam Veterans Association gathered on the memorial plaza to thank this country’s veterans for their service. I was fortunate to address and stand beside these men and women, including those on the memorial staff who have served.

Yellow ribbons were distributed to more than 100 veterans and their families who attended the ceremony. Veterans on the memorial staff led the way as each ribbon was tied to the Survivor Tree, serving as a reminder that we must come together to support U.S. troops and a soldier’s safe return home. The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, prompted many men and women across the country to join the military and answer a call to action. Veterans Day is a time to reflect on the selflessness of their decision and thank them for keeping this country safe.

Thank you for visiting.

By Joe Daniels, 9/11 Memorial President and CEO

On the Fourth of July a record-breaking number of visitors paid their respects at the 9/11 Memorial.  Among them were members of the Gary Sinise Foundation and Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, named in honor of fallen firefighter Stephen Siller. 

Siller had just gotten off the late shift at Squad 1 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, when he heard about the World Trade Center attack.  With 60 pounds of gear strapped to his back, Siller ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to respond to the terror strikes. 

The two charities brought together more than a dozen disabled soldiers – many of them triple or quadruple amputees – to the memorial, which has had more than 3 million visitors since opening in September. Currently, the two charities are working to provide custom-built “smart homes” for wounded veterans.

By Allyson Philobos, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial