ALPA Pilots Gather to Honor 9/11 Crews on 24th Anniversary

On Thursday, September 11, ALPA pilots and staff, flight attendants, and community members assembled in the Association’s Remembrance Garden in McLean, Va., to honor the crewmembers of American Flight 11, American Flight 77, United Flight 93, and United Flight 175 on the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The event was also attended virtually by ALPA representatives at the Association’s 69th Air Safety Forum in Chicago, Ill.

Watch the Ceremony

“Today, we come together for the solemn tradition of remembering and honoring the lives of those lost in the September 11th terrorist attacks,” said Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA’s president, during the annual remembrance ceremony. “In the days after the attacks, we made a promise to never forget. Never forget the lives lost. Never forget the sacrifices made by first responders and bystanders who rushed to help in every way they could. Never forget that we must do everything in our power to prevent another attack like it.”

Capt. Dewey DuHadway (United), his pilot group’s Master Executive Council vice chair, and Capt. Tim Perry, ALPA Canada president, also spoke during the gathering.

“How we choose to think back on 9/11 is up to us,” DuHadway remarked. “We can and should focus on the heroes. The flight crews who stood tall. The first responders who ran toward danger. The passengers who fought back. That’s the legacy we must continue to uphold.”

Perry emphasized how the tragedy revealed humanity’s capacity for unity and resilience in the face of evil. Rather than dwelling on the horrors of that day, he called for channeling grief into strength, urging continued vigilance and solidarity. “If there’s one thing we can take away from the events of the past few years, it’s that during the darkest days, there’s always a light on the horizon—as evidenced by our ever-growing unity, strength, and our willingness to stand in solidarity against evil, by being here today, and by being here for more than two decades,” Perry said.

As Ambrosi paid tribute to each of the crewmembers and other employees aboard the four 9/11 flights by reading their names aloud, Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA’s first vice president and national safety coordinator, tolled a bell for each. Capt. Sean Creed, ALPA’s vice president–administration/secretary, and Capt. Wes Clapper, ALPA’s vice president–finance/treasurer, placed a wreath at the center of the Remembrance Garden in their collective honor as “Amazing Grace” played.

Ambrosi also reminded those gathered why we must never forget the fateful attacks that occurred 24 years ago. “We’re reaching a time where airline pilots may not have been alive in 2001, yet it’s just as important that they continue to recognize and honor this legacy by prioritizing aviation security,” he said.

DuHadway spoke directly to those new generations. “What endures is the legacy of courage, sacrifice, and unity. Let that be our promise to the generations coming behind us. We’ll carry it forward. For the families of the victims, and for everyone who lost someone, we won’t allow the light of their courage to fade. We will never forget.”

At the end of the gathering, those attending the virtual ceremony in Chicago were honored with a moving performance by the Chicago Garda Pipes and Drums, a band composed of active, former, or retired law enforcement officers from federal, state, county, and local agencies dedicated to honoring veterans and first responders who’ve sacrificed their lives in the defense of their country.

In Memoriam: September 11, 2001

United Flight 93
Capt. Jason Dahl
F/O LeRoy Homer, Jr.
Flight Attendant Lorraine Bay
Flight Attendant Sandra Bradshaw
Flight Attendant Wanda Green
Flight Attendant CeeCee Lyles
Flight Attendant Deborah Welsh

United Flight 175
Capt. Victor Saracini
F/O Michael Horrocks
Flight Attendant Robert Fangman
Flight Attendant Amy Jarret
Flight Attendant Amy King
Flight Attendant Kathryn LaBorie
Flight Attendant Alfred Marchand
Flight Attendant Michael Tarrou
Flight Attendant Alicia Titus
Customer Service Agent Marianne MacFarlane
Customer Service Agent Jesus Sanchez

American Flight 11
Capt. John Ogonowski
F/O Thomas McGuiness, Jr.
Flight Attendant Barbara Arestegui
Flight Attendant Jeffrey Collman
Flight Attendant Sara Low
Flight Attendant Karen Martin
Flight Attendant Kathleen Nicosia
Flight Attendant Betty Ong
Flight Attendant Jean Roger
Flight Attendant Dianne Snyder
Flight Attendant Madeline “Amy” Sweeney

American Flight 77
Capt. Charles Burlingame
F/O David Charlebois
Flight Attendant Michele Heidenberger
Flight Attendant Kenneth Lewis
Flight Attendant Renee May

Continuing the Fight for a Secure Flight Deck

ALPA recently called on airlines to end decades of delay and finally implement secondary barriers, which act as key flight deck security protections. In September 2025, Southwest Airlines became the first major air carrier to begin deploying secondary flight deck barriers following the 2018 congressional mandate.

“The anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks is a powerful reminder of the importance of securing the flight deck to prevent our aircraft from being turned into weapons of war. With the help of our partners on Capitol Hill and our labor allies, we succeeded in urging Congress to require secondary barriers on all new commercial airline passenger aircraft, but after two years to comply, the airlines lobbied to delay the implementation deadline. We urge airlines to utilize these life-securing devices as soon as possible and end these needless delays. The barriers are already being installed on aircraft, so the fact that we’re still debating whether to actually use them more than two decades after the terrorist attacks is inexcusable,” said Ambrosi.