Northern remembers 9/11

On the campus of Montana State University-Northern, people gathered in the courtyard to take a moment to remember the events that took thousands of lives one fateful day 13 years ago.

Flags lined the campus walkways and attendees were asked to write their experiences of 9/11, the day the World Trade Center towers fell.

Around 9:25 a.m. Thursday, seven Rocky Boy veterans raised their rifles to salute the fallen and those affected by the events and fired three times into the air.

"Today marks the 13th year of one of the most horrific attacks this country has ever seen," Interim Chancellor Greg Kegel said. "The marks it made are deep. ... The effects it had on this country will never end."

Michael DiBrizzi, a professor of criminal justice at Northern, who was an on-duty New York police officer the day of the attack, spoke to those gathered in the courtyard.

"One of the things I would like to say is: Everyone is familiar with what happened, but we not only need to remember the people who lost their lives and gave up their lives that day, but the people who still, to this day, put themselves in harm's way for us and our way of life," DiBrizzi said. "And also to remember that there are many workers who worked at Ground Zero - construction workers, police, firefighters - who are still to this day getting sick."

DiBrizzi said a friend and coworker of his who was involved in the aftermath passed away a few weeks ago.

"Please keep those families of people like that in your thoughts and prayers," he said.