As America marks the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, 911 USA Hope continues its commitment to ensuring that the courage, service, and sacrifice connected to that day are never forgotten.

The Flag of Valor™ was created as a living tribute—a powerful visual record in which the familiar elements of the American flag carry a deeper story of remembrance. From its stripes and stars to its memorial imagery, each element has meaning.

The Stripes: A Roster of Courage

The stripes of the Flag of Valor become an eternal ledger of service and sacrifice.

According to the Flag of Valor project materials, the tribute represents 1,793 verified first responders, while also providing collective recognition for 1,541 civilian first responders and volunteers.

The red lines carry the names and ranks of 793 firefighters and 64 EMS personnel, recognizing those represented in the project’s historical record, including losses associated with the continuing toxic-exposure illness crisis.

The white lines bear the names and ranks of 664 law enforcement personnel from local, state, and federal agencies.

These are more than names printed upon a flag. Each represents a life, a family, a story, and a legacy worthy of remembrance.

The Blue Field: Fifty Agencies of Valor

The blue field represents the extraordinary unity of the first responder community.

Across the stars are the names of 50 first responder agencies identified by the project as having suffered the loss of at least one member of service. Together, they represent service that crossed agency, jurisdictional, and geographic boundaries.

On September 11, uniforms and agency lines did not define the mission.

Service did.

Symbols of Faith, Duty, and Remembrance

The lower portion of the Flag of Valor brings together several powerful memorial symbols.

First responders stand facing the World Trade Center. Light emerges through the Twin Towers as a symbol of hope. A battlefield cross honors military servicemembers who sacrificed their lives in the Global War on Terror, while a yellow ribbon remembers those who continue to serve and deploy.

The American flag flows behind these images, connecting them through a common message of service and sacrifice.

The design also incorporates the messages “Freedom is Not Free” and “Honor Their Sacrifice,” along with a 25th Anniversary emblem marking a quarter-century of remembrance.

A Living Promise

The Flag of Valor is not intended simply to look backward.

Research into September 11-related illnesses and deaths continues. The project materials describe the flag as a living memorial, allowing future editions to recognize newly confirmed individuals as the historical record develops.

That principle reflects something central to the mission of 911 USA Hope:

Remembrance is not limited to one day, one anniversary, or one generation.

Twenty-five years later, we still have a responsibility to say their names, preserve their stories, honor their families, and teach future generations what their service meant.

Carry the Legacy Forward

The 25th Anniversary Flag of Valor™ gives families, first responders, supporters, organizations, and communities a tangible way to preserve that story.

It is a flag filled with names.

A flag filled with symbols.

A flag filled with sacrifice.

But above all, it represents a promise:

We will remember.

We will honor.

We will preserve.

We will never forget.

Discover the Flag of Valor™

Explore the complete Flag of Valor, learn the meaning behind its stripes, stars, names, agencies, and memorial symbols, and find information about ordering this 25th Anniversary tribute.

EXPLORE THE FLAG OF VALOR →

REMEMBER • HONOR • PRESERVE • NEVER FORGET

— 911 USA Hope | The First Responder Sanctuary