DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Hundreds of ROTC cadets from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University honored the heroes of Sept. 11 with a memorial stair climb at the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday morning.

Starting before sunrise, more than 600 Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC cadets climbed the equivalent of 2,100 stairs, the same number New York City firefighters faced inside the World Trade Center on 9/11.

This is the second year Embry-Riddle’s ROTC detachments have taken part in the tribute. For the first time, United Airlines also joined the event, providing support and reflecting on its own losses from the attacks.

“For United, we lost two aircraft that day with crew and passengers, and that was an extremely significant event for us,” said Paul Ryder, a United Airlines pilot. “But what today represents for us is an opportunity to honor the first responders who came to the call that day. It’s an opportunity to work with and support these young students who are pursuing a career in the military to defend our great nation.”

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For cadets like sophomore Jacob Bradner, the stair climb was about ensuring a new generation carries the memory forward.

“Many lives were lost that day for firefighters and policemen that were all there in New York when this event happened,” Bradner said. “It’s great that we were able to showcase that we will never forget this moment.”

The tribute was especially personal for retired New York firefighter Francis Morrisey, who responded to the attacks and lost close friends that day. This year, he watched his son, a senior cadet at Embry-Riddle, take on the climb.

“I lost a lot of good friends. Actually lost two chiefs out of my house, Freddy Sheffield and George Banks. They were both lost that morning,” Morrisey said. “But now the rate of people getting sick from everything they endured that day, I think we’re all over 400 on top of the 343.”

Morrisey said seeing his son honor those sacrifices filled him with pride.

“He’s an unbelievable kid who works really hard. He’s doing everything right. I couldn’t be prouder,” he said. “I just don’t want them to forget. It was a major attack on us, and shortly after we got to see the community come together so unbelievably.”

Organizers say the climb is more than a test of endurance, it’s a way to instill honor, resilience and remembrance in the next generation.

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