Mary Christine Stevens/For the Mining Gazette A flag for each of the 2,977 lives lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks was planted on Michigan Tech’s Walker Lawn on Wednesday morning.

On the chilly, dark morning of Wednesday, September 11, 20 students gathered on Michigan Tech’s Walker Lawn at 5 a.m. Bundles of American flags were handed out and Andrew Feys, the president of Young Americans for Freedom at Michigan Tech, led the student volunteers.

Thousands of flags were staked into the lawn — one for each of the 2,977 lives lost in the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks that shook the nation 23 years ago. Volunteers also planted signs explaining that the memorial is part of YAF’s 9/11 Never Forget Project.

“For more than 21 years, (YAF) has worked with students across the country to make sure those murdered are properly remembered through the 9/11 Never Forget Project,” YAF writes on the project’s website. “This project is for students who want to honor those murdered on September 11, 2001.”

The student volunteers at Michigan Tech sought to do just that.

“This means a lot to me, and I’m glad to see it means a lot to all of you, too.” Feys said in an address to volunteers.

“We remember 9/11 to honor the bravery of those who died fighting for our country,” Feys said. “Those on Flight 93, the firefighters and police officers who died trying to bring people to safety, and others who exhibited extraordinary bravery that day.”

“We must not forget the desire of our adversaries to instill fear in Americans for providing basic freedoms they fear illegitimize their oppressive reign,” he continued. “By participating in the memorial that my chapter has constructed for many years, everyone has an opportunity to unite under one common love for America. Everyone is welcome to stop by and pay their respects.”

The memorial remained on campus from 5 a.m. until 6 p.m., when it was removed by YAF members and volunteers.

Other organizations on campus honored those lost in 9/11 in their own ways. The Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) held a memorial run through campus at 6 a.m., and had members standing guard in front of a memorial on the front lawn of the ROTC building all throughout the day.

Although it’s been over 20 years since two planes struck the World Trade Center, the effects are still felt, both emotionally and physically. For example, 9/11 first responders are locked in a battle with Congress over funding for health care coverage, after thousands developed serious health conditions due to their work in the aftermath of the attack. The conditions include multiple types of cancers caused by exposure to toxins at the site of the attack and respiratory diseases brought on by inhaling dangerous particles.