9/11, Charlie Kirk anniversaries loom large for Gen Z

Raw reactions from older generations to the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have stuck in the minds of millions of Generation Zers, most of whom weren’t or were barely alive when planes hit the twin towers and the Pentagon.

The events of that day shaped the lives of those born after the terror attacks and grew up watching U.S. troops fight in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Gen Z and Generation Alpha have also lived through the threats from ISIS, al Qaeda and the Taliban.

It’s not surprising then that in a recent Gallup poll, 16 percent of Gen Z responded that 9/11 had permanently changed their way of life compared to 36 percent of millennials. 

Thirty-three percent of Generation X, 29 percent of baby boomers and 15 percent of the Silent Generation said the same. 

Gen Z walks a fine line between relating to 9/11 as a current event, as a historical event or holding a personal tie with the day. 

Only 15 states require that students learn 9/11 in the curriculum, according to Joseph Kornhoff, executive director of the Pentagon Memorial Foundation (PMF). 

“It was so fresh and raw that schools didn’t have time to put it into the curriculum, but here we are 25 years later and we’re looking at generations coming up and still not having that ability to learn about 9/11 from a historical perspective, from a personal stance,” Kornhoff told The Hill.

The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va., is set to break ground on their education center on Saturday, with the goal of involving those from all generations. 

Kornhoff, a millennial, says the terrorist attack inspired a generation of active-duty service members, including himself, who wanted to serve.

“I think it spurred a generation of our military. It was entirely volunteer force at that time and remains. You knew that you were going to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan within a year of enlisting or within a year of your commission as an officer … I think it was a catalyst towards a life of service for a lot of our nation,” he said.

Conversations with Gen Z, particularly Gen Z New Yorkers, reveal that reactions from family members to the horrific event are engrained in their........

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