On September 11, 2026, the City of Naperville held its September 11 Remembrance Ceremony. This year commemorates the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The evening featured musical selections performed by the Naperville Municipal Band, the presentation of the National Colors by the Naperville Fire Department’s Color Guard, and the laying of a wreath at the Shanower Memorial by Dan Shanower’s niece, Rachel Rowe, and her family.
A Vietnam veteran addresses the crowd
The guest speaker for the event was Vietnam War veteran Lynn Lowder, owner of Rosie’s Home Cookin’.
Lowder reflected on what happened on September 11, 2001, why it happened, what we did about it, and the lessons learned.
“Unity is one of our greatest strengths,” said Lowder. “Abraham Lincoln said, ‘a house divided cannot stand.’ Think about that.”
Commander Dan Shanower Memorial in Naperville reminds all that “freedom isn’t free”
The annual event is held at the Commander Dan Shanower Memorial. The memorial reminds visitors that “Freedom isn’t free”, a quote that he believed in and lived out through his years as commander for the U.S. Navy.
Naperville Native Commander Dan Shanower was killed at his post at the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks. The memorial was dedicated to Commander Dan Shanower in 2003, and includes many faces to represent the over 3000 lives lost on that horrific day in American History.
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