Civilians, servicemembers and veterans gathered into a formation, much like most of them who served had done time and time again in the military. They gathered for a short memorial and prayer at 8:46 a.m., the time the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93 occurred. That flight, like United 175 and American Airlines Flights 11 and 77, ended in a crash. Together the four flights resulted in almost 3,000 deaths of passengers and occupants of buildings that day.

“It’s here for us to honor those that paid the ultimate sacrifice during Sept. 11, honoring all those that were involved,” said Chris Greek, a veteran, founder of the event and YMCA staff member. “It was one of the most horrific days in the history of the United States.

“It was such an important day,” he said.

According to Greek, when he and Nick Gray, the CEO of the YMCA and a Marine veteran, were planning the event, they considered the loss of those with first hand experience of the events to be its own form of tragedy. They wanted to ensure the memory is passed down.

Ben Pifher/MDN Chad Haughtvedt, center, a Marine veteran, leads a group of participants in the Minot YMCA Patriot Ruck March on Friday, a memorial event for 9/11.

“Reflection is the whole thing about coming out here and doing this – reflecting on that day,” Greek said, as the group gathered to prepare to be on their way down the 11 mile path. They made their way west past the hospital from the YMCA, then toward Trestle Valley. The road they took was intentionally challenging, according to Greek, and that was to make the participants think back on the events and honor those fallen.

One of the participants, Chris Tilstra, from Minot Air Force Base, said he finds value in “being able to reflect on the significance of what 9/11 means, being able to pass that to the youth of today. There are a lot of them here that were born after that (day).” While he was speaking, one of the youngest members there said he was born in 1999, which made him a toddler that September. The group reflected that many of the participants weren’t born yet in 2001, but because of events like these, the younger generation is aware of the nation’s history.

Members from the Minot Fire Department, Ward County Sheriff’s Department and Minot Police Department escorted the participants along the way, keeping traffic at bay and providing a traffic buffer for the marchers. The DAV, or Disabled American Veterans, also made a showing of support, offering its shuttle bus in case someone needed a ride.

Minot Air Force Base made a showing in a way other than marching. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team section showed up in force, and its members had static displays and demonstration items for members of the public to handle and learn about.

Ben Pifher/MDN Marchers gather information, for a short safety brief, memorial speech and prayer before departing on their 11-mile journey on Friday.