TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Indiana State R-O-T-C students spent Saturday morning climbing dozens of flights of stairs in honor of those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001.

The 22nd anniversary of the tragic day is Monday, so students climbed 110 flights of stairs to honor the actions of first responders.

Retired United States Army sergeant Wendell McCollough explains why that tragic day should never be forgotten.

“That day affected us all. It affected our families. It affected our history. we just cannot forget about it. It will never be forgotten. As long as I’m alive, it will never be forgotten,” he said.

Chris Colbert is a retired Air Force colonel who escorted Air Force One as a pilot on 9/11/ He spoke at this event today to talk about his experience 22 years ago, and what he learned from it.

The point he wanted to get across about the importance of how it brought our country together as one.

“Our nation joined together regardless of race, nationality, gender. We were very united in conflict because of a cause. Twenty-two years later, this event has a part in bringing a lot of that back to our nation,” Colbert added.

He believes Americans showed their true strength through the tragedy. Those very principles are what is going to propel the future generation of this country.

“They’re representing our future. Judging by their motivation, our future is looking bright. That’s for sure,” added McCollough.

The Wabash Valley Road runners are also hosting a memorial on Monday morning to honor those who died.