Remembering 9/11, foundation hosts 10th Patriot Day ceremony in Bigfork

More than a decade ago Bill Thomas received a copy of the Bigfork Eagle at his home in California that caught his attention.  

“A man who lost his son in the 9/11 attack in Benghazi, Libya has moved to Bigfork,” the article said. Charles Woods, the father of Tyrone Woods, moved to the area in August of 2013 with his family from Eastern Oregon.  

Thomas, a former firefighter and son of a Navy veteran, couldn’t get it out of his mind; he felt the need to honor the family and the loss of their son, who helped rescue over 30 people from the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012.  

Today, on Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. in Bigfork, Thomas’ 9-11 Honor and Serve Foundation hosts its 10th Patriot Day Ceremony, marking a decade since dedicating its nationally recognized Benghazi Memorial Monument at the first ceremony on Sept. 11, 2014.  

Thomas and his family frequented the Flathead Lake Lodge for many years, connecting closely with Doug Averill, whose family started the lodge. Putting their heads together, Thomas and Averill drove around Averill’s property and mounted a bronze eagle as a monument, which was later moved to Averill’s farm for easier access.  

The monument honors all four servicemembers who lost their lives in 2012, the only of its kind in the country, Thomas said. While the birth of the foundation began with Benghazi, it incorporated the attack of Sept. 11, 2001, too.  

“Make no mistake, [Benghazi] was a 9/11 attack, they used the anniversary,” Thomas said. “When we originally started, it was called Honor the Four.... now were a 501c3 charity, but back then we actually named it because we wanted to draw attention to those brave people.” 

The 2012 Benghazi attack was an assault on both the U.S. embassy and a nearby CIA annex in Libya, resulting in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, including Tyrone Woods, a Navy SEAL and a CIA contract protective officer.  

The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people when suicide attacks were carried out by al-Qaida on the United States. Terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners crashing two planes in the twin towers in New York City and aiming two flights toward targets in or near Washington, D.C.  

When patrons enter the Bigfork memorial, they will be welcomed with flags brought in on horseback, including the flags of states like Virgina and New York who were affected by the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack. Music from bagpipes and drummers will fill the air.  

Light refreshments will be available during a social gathering after the ceremony. 

The event itself is also a chance for the foundation to donate to involved charities across the country. This year, donated funds will go to the Mandatum Foundation, a Virginia based group dedicated to helping Navy special warfare officers transition to civilian life after retirement. 

“We’re doing what we’re doing because were a bunch of SEALs that have struggled with exiting the military and entering the corporate environment,” said Clayton Trammell, chairman of the foundation’s board and a former Navy SEAL himself.  

There is a unique challenge for people who retire out of the military, Trammell said, where individuals are often overqualified leaders with little corporate experience. The group helps place military members into jobs they are interested in, often through immersions where they can have a trial run in a new place or industry.  

“It's definitely a group that is very forward leaning, trying to find value outside of the military, and to just streamline the transition process,” he said.  

Funds raised by the 9-11 Honor and Serve Foundation will go directly to the Mandatum Foundation to help with the expense of helping retirees find their place in society.  

Two of the servicemen who were killed in Benghazi were Navy SEALS, Trammell said, so being involved in a memorial like the one in Bigfork is a big deal to the organization.  

“There’s really no end to the service that people are willing to give to make this country the way it is,” Trammell said. “The impacts to the families are still being felt.”  

The event is an annual opportunity to gather and talk about what the day of Sept. 11 means to people, Thomas said. It fills the need of a place to gather in remembrance.  

The 10th annual Remembrance of 9-11 event is on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. at the Wrangler Springs Ranch at 6850 Montana 35, Bigfork. Admission and parking are free. 

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.  

    The Flathead Lake Lodge Mounted Color Guard and the United Veterans of the Flathead Valley, present and post their colors at the 9/11 Honor & Serve Foundation's 20-year Remembrance Ceremony at Wrangler Springs Ranch in Bigfork on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    The crowd applauds a speaker at the 9/11 Honor & Serve Foundation's 20-year Remembrance Ceremony at Wrangler Springs Ranch in Bigfork on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Bill Thomas, president of the 9/11 Honor & Serve Foundation and a retired firefighter and paramedic, addresses the crowd at the 9/11 Honor & Serve Foundation's 20-year Remembrance Ceremony at Wrangler Springs Ranch in Bigfork on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    An honor guard and rifle team salutes during the 9/11 Honor & Serve Foundation's 20-year Remembrance Ceremony at Wrangler Springs Ranch in Bigfork on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)