How can I observe the anniversary of 9/11 in Pahrump?

There are very few days in history that carry as powerful a resonance with the American public as September 11, 2001.

Millions of people around the country watched in horror as the now infamous terrorist attacks unfolded, with a group of militant al-Quaeda extremists hijacking four airplanes and turning them into weapons to commit a terrible atrocity. The attacks led to the destruction of the Twin Towers, damage to the Pentagon and the loss of nearly 3,000 lives – and memories of these events still remain sharp in the minds of many who witnessed the devastation.

As another new generation grows up post-9/11, the Rotary Club of the Pahrump Valley is dedicated to making certain that younger Americans are able to learn about the heartbreak and fierce patriotism inspired by these attacks, so they are never forgotten.

On Thursday, Sept. 11 – the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks – the Pahrump Rotary Club will host its annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony, an often-emotional observance that offers the opportunity for the community to come together and reflect on the day. In honor of the firefighters, paramedics, police and other emergency responders who rushed into the chaos in an attempt to save the lives of their fellow citizens, the ceremony is held each year at the Rotary Club’s First Responders Reflection Area. Established in 2016, the First Responders Reflection Area is just one of the Rotary Club’s array of charitable initiatives and its 9/11 observance is the flagship event for this venue.

The ceremony is set to include remarks from several area notables, such as Nye County Emergency Management Director and Pahrump Valley Fire Chief Scott Lewis, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill, Nevada Assemblyman Greg Hafen II, Nye County Commissioner Ian Bayne and former commissioner Frank Carbone. Mickey Roohan from KPVM-TV and local resident Reva Braun are also listed as guest speakers, along with Pahrump Valley Rotary Club President for 2025-2026 Barbara Thompson and past president Roy Mankins. Rotarian Charles Lavoie will take on the role of master of ceremonies.

Interspersed with guest speakers’ remarks will be the solemn tolling of the bell. In silence, attendees will listen as the sound of the bell rings out at 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m. and 10:03 a.m. The timing of the tolling holds a deep significant, too, marking the precise moments each of the hijacked planes crashed.

“Nineteen terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes, deliberately crashing two of the planes into the upper floors of the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center complex and a third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia,” information from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum details. “The Twin Towers ultimately collapsed, because of the damage sustained from the impacts and the resulting fires.

“After learning about the other attacks, passengers on the fourth hijacked plane, Flight 93, fought back and the plane was crashed into an empty field in western Pennsylvania, about 20 minutes by air from Washington, D.C.,” the 9/11 Memorial and Museum continues. “The attacks killed 2,977 people from 90 nations: 2,753 people were killed in New York; 184 people were killed at the Pentagon; and 40 people were killed on Flight 93.”

The 8:46 a.m. bell will honor those killed as a result of the crash of American Airlines Flight 11, which struck the North Tower, followed by United Airlines Flight 175, which struck the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 then slammed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. and the final plane, United Airlines Flight 93, went down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m.

The Rotary Club’s 9/11 Memorial Ceremony is slated for tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 11 at the First Responders Reflection Area, located on the grounds of the Calvada Eye. The ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m.

For more information contact the club on its Facebook page or visit PVRotaryClub.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com