The City of Colorado Springs is hosting the community’s annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony on Sept. 11 at the Peace Officers’ Memorial in Memorial Park. The remembrance event begins at 10 a.m. with welcome remarks from Mayor Yemi, and it is free and open to the public.
The keynote speaker is Mike Gould, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. and former superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). Lt. Gen. Gould was the commander of the Cheyenne Mountain Operations center in 2001 when the attacks occurred. The operations center provided critical information to the Pentagon’s National Military Command Center, and transmitted NORAD orders to ground all aircraft over the U.S. He will share his recollections of that day and provide comments on the aftermath of 9/11 and its effect on our nation.
Lt. Gen. Gould graduated from USAFA in 1976 and held many key positions in the Air Force before becoming USAFA superintendent in June 2009. Following retirement from the Air Force, he was appointed to the inaugural College Football Playoff Selection Committee. He currently serves as the Executive Vice Chair of the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation.
A 9/11 commemoration event has been held in Colorado Springs since 2002. Hosting responsibilities rotate between the City of Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base and USAFA.