January 1, Why This Museum CEO Says 9/11 Truth Is Disappearing

Wyatt’s Take

• Museum leader warns 100 million Americans born after 9/11 risk losing connection to the attacks that changed our nation forever
• New exhibit reveals how the American flag became a powerful symbol of unity when our country came together after radical Islamic terrorism struck our homeland
• Free admission for veterans honors those who answered the call to defend America in the war on terror

As our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, the leader of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is sounding the alarm about preserving the memory of the worst terrorist attack on American soil. Elizabeth L. Hillman, the museum’s President and CEO, says this year carries double significance as both America’s semiquarter millennium and the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

“This year, America’s 250th birthday coincides with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which means that what’s happening at our site is very much connected to the history of the country and to the recognition of this important milestone,” Hillman told Fox News Digital.

“9/11 is an important part of our nation’s history, but especially now as the nation turns 250.”

Nearly 3,000 innocent Americans were murdered when radical Islamic terrorists hijacked commercial airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks changed America forever, launching the war on terror and reshaping our national security.

Hillman warns that an entire generation is at risk of forgetting what happened that terrible September morning.

“Now, 25 years have passed since that date, so if we don’t elevate 9/11 in the eyes of the 100 million Americans who were born since or were too young to remember 9/11 when it happened, we’ll lose the opportunity for them to understand what happened on that day and how the world came to heal, how the nation came together, and how this city and the other sites, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, worked to recover afterward,” she said.

The museum chief says the story of 9/11 proves America can overcome even the darkest moments. In the days and weeks after the attacks, Americans of all backgrounds united behind our flag and our values.

“I think everyone’s hungry for evidence that we can survive things that are difficult,” she said.

“There’s nothing like 9/11 to help people realize, given how the nation has recovered since, that it is possible to persevere, to heal, to recover, even in the face of really unfathomable loss, and that’s what 9/11 has the chance to teach us.”

The museum itself stands as proof of American resilience. Built at the site where the twin towers once stood, it honors the victims while showing that terrorists cannot break the American spirit.

“At the center of the rebuilt World Trade Center is a monument to the people who were killed that day and a testimony, really, to what we can do when we come together after that kind of catastrophe,” she said.

This year, the museum launched a new exhibition called “Our Flag Was Still There,” featuring the American flags that became symbols of defiance and unity after the attacks. The collection includes the Ground Zero flag raised by brave FDNY firefighters, the flag draped over the damaged Pentagon, a flag from the last column of the South Tower, and even one carried during the mission that took out Usama bin Laden.

“It reveals how important the flag was in the healing and the coming together that happened after 9/11,” Hillman said.

At a time when political divisions seem deeper than ever, Hillman believes the 9/11 story offers a roadmap for national unity.

“The opportunity to bring people together around a symbol like the flag and around a symbol like the rebuilding of the World Trade Center after 9/11, it’s a great opportunity, especially right now,” she said.

On Independence Day, the museum will place an American flag at each victim’s name on the memorial.

“to recognize how important the flag was as a symbol of the country on its birthday, but also of the recovery from 9/11 that happened and continues to happen now as we remember that day at this site.”

This fall, the museum will begin offering free admission to veterans who served after 9/11.

“If there’s one message that we feel we can elevate now that we couldn’t do 25 years ago because we didn’t know enough about what would happen afterward, it’s that so many people were inspired to serve their country, serving in the military,” she said.

Wyatt Matters

The attacks on 9/11 proved that evil exists in this world, but they also showed the best of America. Firefighters rushed into burning buildings. Passengers on Flight 93 fought back against terrorists. Neighbors helped neighbors. The flag meant something again. In our divided times, we need to remember that unity isn’t weakness—it’s our greatest strength. Teaching the next generation about 9/11 isn’t about dwelling on tragedy. It’s about preserving the memory of American courage when it mattered most.