MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For Tim Rosser, associate professor in the Department of Aerospace at Middle Tennessee State University, “never forget” is not just a slogan, but a promise.

“It seemed the sun hadn’t set on 9/11 before that phrase seemed to pop up … and became a rally cry for this country,” said Rosser, who served as keynote speaker and shared the story of his “very brave” brother-in-law, Kevin Cosgrove, during MTSU’s 12th annual 9/11 Remembrance ceremony held on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. that killed 2,977 people.

A crowd of more than 150 community members, first responders, MTSU ROTC cadets, students, faculty and staff attended the ceremony, coordinated by the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, held in front of the Veterans Memorial located outside of the Tom H. Jackson Building on the west side of campus.

Rosser said the passion and intensity of that sentiment has diminished in the 25 years since the deadliest attacks on U.S. soil took place. “But we owe it to those that we lost that day, and in the aftermath, to never forget. And that’s why I feel this ceremony and others like it occurring across the country are so very important.”

Recounting the life of ‘very brave’ 9/11 victim

Cosgrove’s actions on 9/11 make him one of the most recognizable names of the tragedy, as his 9-1-1 calls from the 105^th floor of the World Trade Center’s South Tower in New York were vital in documenting what happened that day. Portions of the audio were played by prosecutors during the 2006 sentencing trial of the only living criminal tied to the attacks, which also included attacks on the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Rosser spoke affectionately about his brother-in-law, his voice occasionally faltering as he recounted those final moments before the South Tower collapsed.

A senior vice president with Aon Corp., Cosgrove’s offices occupied several floors near the top of the World Trade Center’s South Tower. As he and coworkers were chatting that morning, American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower and employees fled into stairwells to make the treacherous trek down. Cosgrove noticed his administrative assistant was not with them and went back to find her; she was pregnant and he was worried.

 “A brave decision, but a decision that would cost him his life,” said Rosser, explaining that the coworker had chosen to wait for an elevator because she was unsure she could walk down 98 flights of stairs.

Cosgrove called his wife, who was in class teaching, and left a message. “I’m OK, we’re evacuating, I’ll see you later.”

It was the last message she ever received from him.

Cosgrove eventually became trapped in the upper floors of the South Tower. Smoke, fire and debris blocked several stairwells, forcing him higher. He ended up on the 105th floor with two other people.

He made three calls to 9-1-1. Rosser has heard all three recordings. The third, which was released publicly, captures Cosgrove struggling to breathe as smoke filled the room.

“We’re not ready to die,” Cosgrove said in the nearly six-minute call with an operator who tried to keep him calm as black smoke filled the building. At 9:59 am., Cosgrove cried out as the sound of the building collapsing roared in the background of the phone call.

Rosser paused as he described the recording, allowing the weight of the moment to settle over the audience.

“I don’t believe I’m being overly dramatic to say that they were experiencing a living hell,” Rosser said.

‘Never forget’ impact of sacrifice

For a generation of Americans with no personal memory of Sept. 11, 2001, the day can feel like history rather than something lived.

But for retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, MTSU’s senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives, the attacks remain deeply personal — a moment that changed the course of his military service and reinforced lessons he continues to share.

“Never forget, but take action,” Huber said as he welcomed the crowd, encouraging people to focus less on themselves and more on serving others.

The memory of 9/11, Huber said, should inspire people not just to remember, but to live with gratitude, purpose and service every day.

MTSU ROTC Army and Air Force cadets took turns reading the timeline of events for that fateful day, each sharing how 9/11 impacted their lives and desire to serve their country.

Cadet Battalion Commander Mike Colello, an international affairs graduate student from Aberdeen, N.C., was 5 when the attacks on Sept. 11 occurred.

“When I got home that day, my dad sat me down and explained to me what happened. I knew that my dad was a United States Marine. He deployed for 15 months and I didn’t really know why,” Colello recalled. “As I grew up, I understood and realized it was not only a huge impact for the community, but I realized what it meant for my dad. I had a calling to do the same.”

Sept. 11 attack ‘seems like yesterday’

Retired U.S. Army colonel Rickey Smith, MTSU class of 1978 and current president of the Military Science Alumni Chapter, attends the 9/11 Remembrance with his wife, Margaret Smith, each year.

Smith, a brigade commander for the U.S. Army at the time of the attacks, said listening to the timeline of the attacks is an important aspect of the program.

“It sets the tone of what I was living at that time. And to hear Tim Rosser’s story today was very moving. When you think about it, there are almost 3,000 individual stories like that, out there,” recalled Smith, his voice choking back emotion.

Although it’s been 25 years, Smith said the attacks still seems “like yesterday in some sense.” He was in California, three hours behind the Eastern time zone where the attacks occurred, and his sister called to tell him to turn on the TV.

“I saw the second plane hit. So I told my family, ‘I don’t know when I’ll be back.’ And it was three days and nights before I got back to my house,” Smith recalled.

By the next day, President George W. Bush invoked the Stafford Act to authorize emergency federal assistance, which placed Smith in the role of defense coordinating officer for his area of the country.

“We just went into execution mode and did what needed doing,” Smith said.

Smith’s story, like many in attendance at the ceremony, underscored the lasting reach of a day that happened a quarter-century ago. For those who lived through it, 9/11 remains vivid. For those born afterward, its meaning increasingly comes through the stories of people who were there — and those who chose to serve because of what happened.

“Never forget” is more than remembering where you were that morning, Rosser said. It is remembering the people who were there — the people who ran toward danger, helped strangers, returned for a coworker and, like Cosgrove, made decisions that ultimately cost them their lives.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])