Members of the U.S. Navy hold a flag-folding ceremony on the 9/11 Memorial plaza before a group of onlookers.
Photo by Jin S. Lee

Salute to Service

Each November, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum recognizes our country’s veterans through Salute to Service, a tribute honoring those who served in the military as well as the families and communities that support them. All year long, active and retired military receive free Museum admission.  

Video: Salute to Service: Veterans Reflect on 9/11

STS VET PAGE Final_caps_v3

From Thursday, November 7 through Monday, November 11, the Memorial & Museum will host a series of events and tributes for our military and veterans, as well as the families and communities that support them. This year’s highlights include: 

Complimentary Museum Admission
We are pleased to offer free admission to active and retired U.S. military, veterans, Blue & Gold Star families, and guests. Reserve tickets here.

Rose Placement
As we do each Veterans Day, the 9/11 Memorial, alongside volunteers from the veteran organization Team Red, White & Blue, will place yellow roses at the names of 9/11 victims who served in the United States military. If you are a 9/11 family member and you would like us to place a yellow rose at the name of your loved one who served in the U.S. military, please email veterans@911memorial.org.

Virtual Tour Program
The Museum is offering a free virtual tour during Salute to Service. This on-demand tour, exclusive to the military and veteran community, takes participants through the Museum’s key spaces to provide a deeper understanding of 9/11, the lead up to the attacks, and their continuing global significance. If you are interested in this virtual tour, please RSVP here.

Events & Visits
For more information on Salute to Service, including an up-to-date list of events and tributes, please visit 911memorial.org/veterans. If you are a veteran organization and would like to participate in Salute to Service, including hosting a visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, please email veterans@911memorial.org.

2023 Salute to Service Highlights

  • Close-up of yellow roses with an image that shows the American flag and the text THANK YOU
  • Five smiling people at a 9/11 Memorial podium inside the Museum
  • Uniformed officers folding an American flag on the Memorial plaza
  • Two women in military uniforms salute a tribute wreath with an American flag at center
  • Group of uniformed military men and women stand at attention on the plaza
  • A group of uniformed Coast Guard members in the auditorium, listening to a staff member speak in front of a movie screen
  • Four Coast Guard members in uniform walk across the plaza carrying instruments, flags, and a rifle, with the Memorial in background
  • Back view of guests wearing Operation Mend jackets study a large artifact in the museum
  • A row of smiling people at the Survivor Tree, with an American Flag wreath at center
  • Three men hold baskets of yellow roses on the Memorial plaza
  • People hover over a bucket of yellow roses as they prepare to place the on the Memorial
  • Yellow roses on the Memorial
  • Person carrying a flag folded military style
  • Ruck participants carry American flags onto the Plaza
  • Two people in uniform stand at the Survivor Tree with a tribute wreath between them

Photos: David E. Starke

Top: Veterans Day tribute on the plaza

Row 1: (L) Visionaries John Paluska, Ashley Nicholas, Bridget Gormley, and Cait Leavey with Lauren Daly, Senior Director, Community Affairs. (R) FDNY firefighters ceremoniously folding American flags, which were previously flown over the 9/11 Memorial. These flags were then presented to veterans in Houston during the Tunnel to Towers Foundation Veterans Village residence dedication there.

Row 2: (L) U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joanna Nunan and Captain Zeita Merchant. (R): Navy Reenlistment Ceremony.

Row 3: (L) U.S. Coast Guard members attend an "All Available Boats" screening. (R) U.S. Coast Guard Honor Guard.

Row 4: (L) UCLA Health Operation Mend Memorial & Museum visit. (R) Wounded Wounded Warrior Project CEO LTG (Ret.) Mike Linnington and veterans at Survivor Tree

Row 5: (L) Team Red, White, and Blue during yellow rose placement on Veterans Day. (R) Team Red, White, and Blue and TDBank team members during yellow rose placement on Veterans Day. 

Row 6: (L) Yellow roses on the Memorial. (R) Moment of tribute during United War Veterans Council Honor Ruck. 

Row 7: (L) United War Veterans Council Honor Ruck at Memorial. (R) Survivor Tree tribute.