Cadets Guard Flag for 24 Hours in Sept. 11 Vigil

Cadets stand guard in front of the memorial honoring the 9/11 victims during a 24-hour vigil organized by the BYU’s ROTC programs.PROVO, Utah – Oct 11, 2012 – The Brigham Young University Army and Air Force ROTC cadets joined together for a 24-hour flag vigil, honoring the lives lost in the Sept. 11 tragedy.

More than 140 participated in the vigil that featured two cadets standing at attention in front of the flag pole south of BYU's Abraham Smoot Building. A wreath and a table holding a folded flag sat behind cadets who rotated their posts every 20 minutes for 24 hours.

"I am here to honor the sacrifice of the people who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the defense of our country and the freedoms we enjoy," said Air Force Cadet David Gourdin from Logandale, Nevada. "We stand guard at the flagpole, honoring and remembering those people and everyone since who has passed on in the war on terrorism."

Gourdin, a junior studying geography, was in sixth grade in 2001 and remembers watching the hijacked planes fly into the World Trade Center towers as he was getting ready to go to school.

"It deeply impacted me," Gourdin says. "It's given me a greater conviction. Defending my country is something I've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to serve my country and uphold and honor the people who have gone before me."

At 9 a.m., cadets placed four roses at the base of the memorial honoring each plane involved in the tragedy. A three-volley rifle salute was fired following the playing of "Taps" by the bell tower.      

Scores of people, including students, staff, faculty and community members, witnessed the ceremony. The vigil concluded Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 a.m. completing 24 hours of standing at attention in reverence.

"It's something that I will never forget," Gourdin says. "I am eager to help protect our country and the freedoms that we value."

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.