Students at Chilton Christian Academy, faculty and families observed Patriot Day on Friday morning to remember the lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“Fourteen years ago, there was a strike on our nation by terrorists,” CCA Principal Charles Gottshall said.

Gottshall shared some facts about 9/11, how people responded to the tragedy and how the incident affected everyone 14 years later.

“It was a very tragic day,” Gottshall said. “When I heard what had happened, I was in Delaware at the time. I was shocked that something like this could happen in America. People went to work that day just like any other day, and many lost their lives.”

Gottshall shared with those in attendance that an estimated 2,996 individuals were killed on 9/11. The numbers included 19 terrorists, 246 passengers on the four airliners, 2,606 workers at the World Trade Center Towers, and 125 workers at the Pentagon.

Also, 411 emergency workers were called to the various scenes to rescue survivors and treat the injured.

In September 2002, President George W. Bush proclaimed Sept. 11 as Patriot Day.

Students provided a patriotic reading and performed patriotic songs before welcoming guest speaker Johnny Curry, the director of public events at American Village in Montevallo.

Curry said American flags located at all government buildings on Friday would be flying at half-staff in observance of the anniversary of 9/11.

“September 11 was an unforgettable day for everyone,” Curry said. “There are so many insufficient adjectives to describe how we felt that day.”

Curry went on to describe incidents throughout American history that could be deemed as a Patriot Day beginning with the Boston Massacre.

“Patriot Days are when ordinary people do extraordinary things,” Curry said. “That is still a challenge we all face as citizens of this country today. We can serve our country in so many ways, and we can make small sacrifices that still make a big impact.”

Curry encouraged the students to become involved in their community, and work to make Alabama a better place to live.

“Watch the television, read the newspapers and Internet,” Curry said. “You can learn things that will help you make informed decisions when you get to the point where you can vote.”

To close the service, those in attendance were led in the singing of “God Bless America” before Gottshall asked the assembly to pause for a moment of silence.