Oskaloosa Students Prepare 2,977-Flag Memorial for 9/11 Anniversary

Student Council members Jonah DeVore, Ireland McGraw, and Vani Patel sat down in the Oskaloosa News Studio to talk about the OHS Student Council participation in the upcoming 9/11 Ceremony.

Oskaloosa High School students plan to place almost 3,000 American flags on the town square this Thursday to honor those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Student Council members Jonah DeVore, Ireland McGraw, and Vani Patel see this project as a way for their generation to remember. They have learned about that day from school and family stories, not from personal experience.

The council will start placing 2,977 flags at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10. Each flag stands for one person who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The display will stay up for a community ceremony marking the 25th anniversary at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, on the square.

In an interview with Oskaloosa News, McGraw said it is important to honor the victims, even for students who were not yet born when the attacks happened. She believes the project helps keep their memory alive.

Patel said it was an honor for the student council to be invited to help. She mentioned that many students felt moved by the invitation and appreciated the chance to be part of the remembrance.

For DeVore, this project also relates to his plans to join the military after he graduates from high school.

He said the military response after Sept. 11 gives the anniversary extra meaning as he considers his own future in service. He sees the students’ efforts as a way to honor both the victims and the service members who served after the attacks.

Stories from his family have helped him understand what that day was like.

DeVore remembered a story his mother told him about teaching eighth grade on Sept. 11. Someone brought a television into her classroom so students could watch the news as everything happened.

She told him that some students cried. The classroom became silent, which was very different from the usual noise and activity of middle school students.

That story is one of the memories that has stayed with DeVore as he has learned about the attacks.

When asked how young people can help bring others together, DeVore said education is key. He believes students should keep learning about Sept. 11, its impact on the country, and why solving problems peacefully matters.

Patel said she hopes students understand what people went through during that time and carry those lessons forward to help prevent others from suffering similarly.

The council’s role in the remembrance will take several hours of work on the square.

DeVore said around 80 council members are expected to help place the flags. The students are working with Musco Lighting and will use a laser and string to keep the rows straight. He said paying attention to these details is a way to show respect for those being remembered.

DeVore said similar displays were set up for the 10th and 20th anniversaries. The flags will stay up throughout the weekend.

Oskaloosa Fire Chief Scott Vaughan said the display will be on the east side of the square, near the courthouse. That area will be set aside to protect the flags, while people can gather on the west side during Friday’s ceremony.

Vaughan said he started planning the anniversary program about 10 months ago and worked with Musco to get everything ready. He worries that the impact of Sept. 11 has faded over time and believes people should remember the attacks for more than just one day each year.

Vaughan was a firefighter in Fairfield when the attacks happened. He remembered watching the news and feeling more disbelief as the events unfolded. He said that for firefighters, the day is also a reminder of their duty to go into danger to help others while most people are trying to get out.

Friday’s program should last about 30 to 45 minutes. Vaughan said it will begin with a welcome from Mayor Krutzfeldt and the national anthem.

Speakers will include Iowa Sen. Adrian Dickey, who also volunteers as a firefighter, Diane Crookham-Johnson from Musco Lighting, and Vaughan.

A Musco Mobile truck will display an American flag that once flew over Ground Zero at the World Trade Center in New York. Vaughan said Musco crews provided lighting to help with the work there after the attacks. Crookham-Johnson will talk about the company’s role in that response.

The ceremony will also honor local first responders. Police, fire, sheriff’s office, ambulance, and county conservation staff are expected to attend, along with members from nearby fire departments. The program will end with a bell ceremony and a performance of “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes.

Everyone is welcome to attend. People can stand or bring a lawn chair or blanket. DeVore suggested carpooling since parking around the square may be limited.