A Gathering in Remembrance

The Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival will begin with a solemn 9/11 Remembrance and Flag Retirement Ceremony on Friday, September 11, 2026, at Customs House Pier in New London at 8:30am. The ceremony will commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

The program will begin with a remembrance of the events of 9/11, marking the key moments of the attacks. Members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, local first responders, veterans, and community leaders will come together to honor those lost and reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and resilience that followed.

The ceremony will feature the presentation of colors, performed by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Cadet Chorale, an invocation and special prayer for first responders, and personal stories from members of the Coast Guard and Submarine Service whose lives and careers were shaped by the events of 9/11.

The program will also include a patriotic musical tribute, eight bells to mark the completion of the watch, a 21-gun salute, and a performance of “Amazing Grace” accompanied by a water display from local fire and rescue boats.

The ceremony will conclude with a  Flag Retirement Ceremony, honoring a worn American flag with the dignity and respect it deserves, followed by the presentation of a new flag, “Old Glory,” to local first responders in recognition of their continued service and sacrifice. The audience will then join for “God Bless America” to close this powerful tribute.