As America marks the 25th anniversary of September 11, we remember the lives lost, honor those who answered the call and reflect on a day that forever changed our nation.
The attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93 in Pennsylvania took nearly 3,000 lives. They also left an indelible mark on every American who witnessed that day and experienced the uncertainty, grief and resolve that followed.
This September, we observe the 25th anniversary of 9/11. We remember those who were lost. We honor the families who have carried their absence for a quarter century. We recognize the first responders, members of our military and countless others whose service and sacrifice continued long after that morning.
For C. Forbes, Inc., this anniversary is also deeply connected to our company’s own history.
When the Call Came
C. Forbes, Inc. was founded by Chip Forbes in 1998 in the basement of the Forbes family home in Richmond, Virginia. When the attacks occurred three years later, the company was still young.
Chip had been at the Pentagon on business only days before September 11.
In the aftermath of the attack, the White House and Pentagon began planning a memorial ceremony to be held on October 11, 2001—exactly one month later—on the grounds near the Pentagon’s North Entrance.
Approximately 15 days before the ceremony, C. Forbes received a request: Could we provide 30,000 custom lapel pins, individually mounted on presentation cards, for those attending?
The timeline was demanding. The meaning of the assignment was far greater.
Working closely with the Department of Defense graphics team, the “United in Memory” design was finalized and production began. Long hours followed, but the people involved understood that this was more than an order. It was an opportunity to serve during a moment of national grief.
The pins were completed for the ceremony and presented to those gathered at the Pentagon.
For a company only three years into its story, it became a defining moment.
A Responsibility to Remember
The Pentagon’s “United in Memory” project eventually led to a relationship with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.
Beginning with the museum’s “Honor and Remember” limited-edition coin in 2014, C. Forbes helped develop an ongoing series of commemorative coins and keepsakes. Individual designs have honored important people, places and symbols within the larger 9/11 story, including the Survivor Tree, the Last Column, the Tribute in Light, rescue dogs and the Memorial Glade.
When the 9/11 Memorial Glade opened in 2019 to honor rescue, recovery and relief workers—as well as those who became sick or died from exposure to toxins after the attacks—we created a commemorative coin containing material sourced from the granite monoliths used in the Glade.
In 2020, the series continued with the message, “In Darkness We Shine Brightest,” reflecting the strength and hope Americans offered one another during one of our nation’s darkest periods.
In 2023, another coin from the collection became part of NFL history when it was used for the opening coin toss of the Buffalo Bills–New York Jets game played at MetLife Stadium on September 11. The game-used coin was subsequently offered at auction to benefit the Memorial.
These pieces are small enough to be held in one hand, but what they represent cannot be measured by their size.
Each carries a story. Each gives someone a tangible connection to a person, a place or a moment that must not be forgotten.
Twenty-Five Years of Stepping Forward
The work that began with an urgent call from the Pentagon became part of a larger purpose for C. Forbes.
Over the years, our company has been entrusted to help commemorate defining chapters in the American story: the Jamestown 400th anniversary, the Centennial of Flight, the centennial of the New York City Veterans Day Parade, the National World War I Memorial, the women’s suffrage centennial, the United States Army’s 250th anniversary and America’s 250th anniversary.
We have created pieces for museums, memorials, military organizations, federal agencies, nonprofit foundations and public institutions. The occasions have been different, but the responsibility has remained the same: understand the story, respect its significance and create something worthy of being carried forward.
Not every commemorative need arrives with years of preparation. Sometimes the call comes during an unexpected moment, when people are grieving, history is unfolding and an organization needs a trusted partner willing to step forward.
That was true in September 2001.
It continues to guide us today.
We Will Never Forget
Twenty-five years have passed, but remembrance does not belong only to history.
It lives in the names spoken by families. It lives in the continued service of first responders and members of our Armed Forces. It lives in the work of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and in the millions of people who visit, learn and remember.
For everyone at C. Forbes, it remains an honor to have played a small role in preserving that memory—from the 30,000 “United in Memory” pins created for the Pentagon in 2001 to the commemorative pieces that continue telling the story today.
On this 25th anniversary, we pause once again.
We remember the lives taken.
We honor the heroes who answered the call.
We stand with the families whose loss continues.
And we renew a promise that must endure from one generation to the next:
We will never forget.