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Forty-two people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had Michigan connections, according to the Michigan Remembers 9-11 fund.
Among them was Todd Beamer, the Flint native who was heard telling other passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93, “Let’s roll.”
Other stories of the state’s ties to the events of that morning run through a fighter wing in Macomb County, a fire crew from Monroe County, a candlelight vigil in Ann Arbor and at least 38 markers and memorials that have since been installed.
A Peace and Unity Candlelight Vigil took place on Sept. 19, 2001, at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, to remember and honor the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images
42 victims identified as having Michigan connections
Over the years, the Michigan Remembers 9-11 Fund has identified 42 people with Michigan connections among the victims. They include 18 University of Michigan alumni and others who graduated from Michigan State University.
The fund was co-founded by East Lansing economist Patrick Anderson, who was inside the Marriott World Trade Center hotel the morning of the attacks and got out. He told CBS Detroit this week that the victims are worth reading about because they were neighbors.
Todd Beamer was a native of Flint
Beamer, 32, called an Airfone operator after Flight 93 was hijacked. The plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m.
He provided critical information to the operator about the circumstances on the flight, according to his biography posted at the Flight 93 National Memorial website. At the end of his call, Beamer could be heard telling others on the plane, “Are you guys ready? Okay. Let’s roll.”
Beamer was living in New Jersey at the time. The Michigan Remembers 9-11 site says he was born in Flint. He has also been honored near the Chicago suburb where he went to high school, CBS Chicago reported.
Selfridge Air National Guard response
Two F-16s from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Southeast Michigan were in the air, participating in routine training near Grayling, when the terrorist attacks began.
As the aircraft were returning to base, the 127th Wing said later, local officials were notified of the hijacked planes that struck in New York and Washington, D.C. The two aircraft returned to the base, refueled and were loaded with live ammunition before flying combat air patrols.
Within hours, hundreds of airmen reported to the Macomb County base, according to accounts from the 127th Wing. They began 24-hour alert duty, providing aerial cover for much of the Great Lakes.
Michigan firefighters went to New York
Michigan firefighters were among those who traveled to New York City to assist at the World Trade Center site.
Two of them were members of the Detroit Fire Department: Jeremy Desmet and George Aren. Their stories were told in 2025 by the Detroit Police Department.
The Monroe Township Fire Department in Monroe County also sent a crew of first responders, including David Nadeau, who spent nine days in New York City working on fire suppression and related tasks.
Vigil at the University of Michigan
Michigan places of worship and communities organized vigils and prayer services on short notice, including one at Greenfield Village in Dearborn a few days later.
There was also an impromptu vigil at the University of Michigan’s Diag on the evening of Sept. 11, 2001.
The University Record says that as news of the terrorist attacks spread around campus, university officials created online resources to help with locating loved ones and seeking support. People waited for hours to donate blood at the Michigan Union, and that Saturday’s football game was among the sporting events canceled in the days that followed.
That night, about 15,000 students, faculty and community members gathered at the Diag for a candlelight vigil that included remarks from campus and religious leaders.
“The gathering was one of the largest vigils in the Diag’s history,” the Record says.
In subsequent years, there were vigils and flag ceremonies held across Southeast Michigan.
People attend a candlelight vigil September 11, 2003 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hundreds of people attended the “Circle of Peace: A Healing Vigil For September 11th” event, which was co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor Area Committee for Peace, the Muslim Community Association, Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, and the Board of the Jewish Cultural School & Society.
Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
Memorial sites in Michigan
At least 38 markers and memorials in Michigan are dedicated to the victims of Sept. 11 and the first responders who worked at the scenes. They include an H-beam salvaged from the wreckage that now stands in Lansing.
Numerous events across Southeast Michigan are planned this fall to remember the victims and honor first responders.
