Hundreds of Warren County residents gathered Friday, Sept. 11, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at a remembrance ceremony featuring a Pentagon attack survivor as keynote speaker.

Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, who was on duty inside the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building in 2001, addressed the crowd of first responders, veterans, students and community leaders, Fox 19 reported.

Zettler recalled the moment of impact during his keynote.

"200 yards from where we sat was the impact point. Those are sounds and a sight that I will never forget — at that instant, 9:37 am, 184 people died," Zettler said.

At the time of the attacks, Zettler served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics at the Pentagon, according to an Air Force Personnel Center account of that day.

Zettler told the crowd the ceremony's message was about the future, honoring those who made sacrifices and working together as a country to prevent another attack like 9/11.

Students from local high schools participated by sharing songs, poems and artwork honoring victims who died before the students were born. One student read an original poem that described healing not as forgetting but as small acts of kindness, like leaving a meal at a neighbor's door or a volunteer staying 10 minutes longer.

One attendee said he took off work to be there. He said seeing high school students writing poems and songs gave him hope that the younger generation would keep the memory alive.

Beyond Mason's own 9/11 ceremony at its memorial and blood drive on the same day, the county-level event drew a cross-section of the community. The Warren County Sheriff's Office promoted the ceremony ahead of time, noting it would feature artwork, artifacts and a keynote address.

Student artwork and 9/11 relics are on display in the lobby of the Warren County administrative building through September.