Orlando, which saw its own tragedy this year, marked the 15 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks on Sunday.

  • 25,000 flags placed at Dr. Phillips Center
  • Represents post-9/11 servicemen and women with post-traumatic stress
  • Volunteers and law enforcement helped put out the flags

About 25,000 flags were placed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Before dawn, Howard Franklin and his son helped plant the flags into the grass. Franklin was in the army 15 years ago.

“I was at home with my girlfriend, now wife, and when I saw first plane hit the building, I started packing my stuff,” said Franklin, who knew he was going to war.

The 25,000 flags represent the number of post 9/11 Central Florida service men and women who suffer from post-traumatic stress from the war on terror.

The Camaraderie Foundation, which provides free counseling for service members and their families, set up the ceremony.

“Our country changed forever on 9/11, and men and women going in harm’s way multiple times, just to kind of keep our country safe and they are having issues, and we need to be there as a community to support them,” said Camaraderie Foundation Co-Founder Marine Waldrop.

Orlando police officers and firefighters also helped, showing their support for those who put their lives in harm’s way to protect our freedoms.

“We may not know those people there, but they’re what we all would consider our brothers in the service and this is the least that we can do to actually pay tribute and respect those guys and their families and what they did,” said Orlando Fire District Chief Ed Griffin.