9/11 at 25: KEEPERS OF THE FLAME
Twenty-five years ago on September 11th, 2001, America watched the unimaginable unfold—and in the days that followed, witnessed something equally unforgettable: ordinary people rising to extraordinary courage.
9/11 at 25: Keepers of the Flame marks this milestone anniversary by honoring the heroes, victims and survivors of that day, and the generations who have carried their legacy forward ever since—our veterans, first responders, and service members who continue to answer the call to protect America and her freedom.
The theme: Keepers of the Flame draws its inspiration from the Eternal Flame—a symbol used throughout history to keep memory burning bright through the darkest of nights, and the very flame that inspired the focal point at the heart of our Flame of Liberty Memorial. Just as that flame never dims, neither does the duty to remember, to honor, and to protect.
Event Details
Location:
Flame of Liberty Memorial
Los Gatos Civic Center Lawn
110 East Main St., Los Gatos
Schedule:
Free coffee & donuts at 9:00 AM
Program begins at 9:30 AM
Free and open to all[
Local 9/11 Heroes: Todd Beamer & Mark Bingham
Have you ever considered how history may have been rewritten had the terrorists on 9/11 successfully accomplished the third prong of their mission? The terrorists’ actions affected America’s economy by first taking out the World Trade Center, the heart of the financial district on Wall Street. They then sent a strong message to our military with their crash into the Pentagon. The last prong of the terrorist strategy was to bring our government to a standstill by crashing into the U.S. Capitol Building.
Todd Beamer and Mark Bingham are two local heroes who grew up in the same Town of Los Gatos, attended the same Los Gatos High School, and years later, at Newark Airport, boarded the same plane – United Flight 93, headed for San Francisco. They, unexpectedly, became members of a pickup team of four – Todd, Mark, along with Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick—who along with onboard crew members, were instrumental in ensuring that UA Flight 93 did not accomplish the final prong of the terrorists’ mission. To do so, they masterfully penetrated UA Flight 93’s cockpit to take back control from terrorists. History shows that UA Flight 93 instead crashed into an empty field resulting in the loss of 40 innocent passenger and crew members on board that day.
Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, and the other on-board passengers were never trained as emergency services personnel or wore a military uniform. They were decisive, acted within minutes and lost their lives while mounting the first civilian counterattack against terrorist actions on 9/11. They kept our government from annihilation and thousands of Washingtonians from harm because of their actions. Their actions prevented our government from coming to a standstill due to a terrorist attack on their intended target– the U.S. Capitol Building, and allowed America to act at one of the most critical moments in recent U.S. history.
Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham and their extraordinary acts of heroism are recognized at the Flame of Liberty Memorial, located on the Civic Center lawn.
The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation wants the extraordinary acts of courage of local 9/11 heroes Todd Beamer and Mark Bingham, America’s military members, veterans and first responders, REMEMBERED. The Foundation built the Flame of Liberty Memorial to create a venue at which to educate the public on the sacrifices borne by those who serve and to deliver honor, respect, gratitude and healing to America’s heroes.
Event Speakers
Keynote Speaker FDNY Lieutenant Joe Torrillo
Joe Torrillo served 25 years as a Lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department before retiring. He spent his first 15 years at Engine Company #10, located directly across the street from the South Tower, whose primary mission was supporting the World Trade Center. While recovering from a severe injury sustained on New Year’s Eve going into 1997, Joe was assigned “light duty” in the fire department’s office of fire safety education.
Eight months into that assignment, he was named Director of the program. In that role, Joe co-designed a state-of-the-art children’s fire safety learning center called The Fire Zone, which opened in Manhattan in October 2000 and went on to win the coveted THEA Award at the 2002 Themed Entertainment Association Awards. In January 2001, Joe partnered with Fisher-Price to help design a new children’s action figure for their ‘Rescue Heroes’ line — a likeness of a NYC firefighter named ‘Billy Blazes.’ Joe chose The Fire Zone as the site for the figure’s press conference, and, keeping with the safety theme, selected September 11, 2001, as the launch date — fittingly, since 911 is New York City’s emergency phone number.
As Joe was headed to the press conference, the first terrorist plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Joe turned around and headed back to Engine Company #10 to assist his colleagues. He hung up his dress blues uniform, borrowed firefighter gear that was not in use, and joined the rescue operation underway.
That morning, Joe survived being buried alive not once but twice — first in the collapse of the South Tower, and then again minutes later when the North Tower came down on the boat carrying him to safety. In his own words, as he took what he believed were his last breaths, he did something he hadn’t done in years: he closed his eyes and said a prayer. Miraculously rescued from both collapses, Joe now travels the world sharing his story as a lesson in facing fear, embracing change, and never giving up on one’s dreams — a message of resilience and gratitude that continues to move audiences to a standing ovation.
Mayor Rob Moore
Town of Los Gatos Mayor Rob Moore is a Los Gatos native. He grew up in Los Gatos, attended local public schools through high school, went on to attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Service and Urban Planning. Rob Moore was elected to the Los Gatos Town council at the age of 24 years.
Mayor Moore obtained a wealth of experience prior to becoming the Town of Los Gatos Mayor and brings a variety of professional experiences, from government to nonprofits to his mayoral position. He works to leverage his relationships with our state and federal partners to benefit the Town.
Just to name a few of those experiences, Mayor Moore:
- supported the state legislature,
- served with the San Jose Conservation Corps where he worked with an environmental nonprofit supporting underserved youth,
- managed a tiny home housing program,
- managed an 80-resident homeless shelter during the height of the pandemic,
- worked with the UN on a vaccine advocacy project,
- interned for Congresswoman Eshoo and Assemblymember Even Low where he was involved in bills on foster youth protections, daycare pool safety, and rental application fee limits and most notably, something near and dear to those in Silicon Valley: AI deepfake disinformation.
And as Mayor, Rob Moore has focused on protecting what makes Los Gatos special while thoughtfully addressing its challenges: housing, traffic, affordability, financial uncertainty and street safety. Mayor Moore was three years of age on September 11, 2001. That said, this Mayor of experience beyond his years is anxious to ensure that it never happens again and that Los Gatos is mission ready to handle any emergency that should come its way.
Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Tomasetti, Santa Clara County Fire Dept.
Three Uniforms. One Mission of Service.
Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Tomasetti of the Santa Clara County Fire Department has a story of service worn in layers. He answered the call to serve his country as a U.S. Army soldier during Operation: Desert Storm which he served with distinction. Returning home, he traded his combat boots to serve as a paramedic in 1994 and then served again and traded in his paramedic uniform for a firefighter’s turnout gear — joining the Brisbane Fire Department in 1998 before finding his lasting home with Santa Clara County Fire in 1999.
Over more than two decades, he’s risen through nearly every rank the department offers — Firefighter/Engineer-Paramedic, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, and a proud member of the Department Honor Guard — all while earning his Bachelor of Applied Science in Emergency Management along the way.
Today, as Assistant Fire Chief, he leads the Administration and Planning Division, overseeing Community Education and Risk Reduction, Public Affairs, and the department’s Wildfire Resilience Program — shaping how an entire community prepares for and protects itself against tomorrow’s threats.
Soldier. Paramedic. Firefighter. Chief. Each chapter builds on the last, and each was chosen in service of others.
USMC Veteran & Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation Member Marie Vyas
Marie Vyas was Captain–Strategy & Logistics Officer and Company Commander with the United States Marine Corps. Marie Vyas’ six-year career with the military took her to the Middle East where she served in the War on Terror. While there, Marie was responsible for several key functional areas for the military, one of which was co-creating the Iraqi Women’s Engagement Project and Lioness Teams, addressing critical operational gaps in female engagement and security. She also directed global logistics and human-capital planning for 120+ air and ground movements involving 60+ aircraft and 5,000 personnel, managing $200M+ in serialized assets and 30,000+ shipments across 25 countries with zero-failure execution.
Today, Marie Vyas is a multidisciplinary leader whose work bridges military service, business, coaching, and community impact. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University and her MBA from George Washington University. Across her career, she has led and supported initiatives in operations, leadership development, wellness, mentoring, and nonprofit service, bringing a thoughtful, mission-driven approach to every role. Her background reflects a unique blend of executive discipline, public service, and a deep commitment to helping people and organizations navigate challenge, transition, and growth.
In her post-military career, Marie has continued to serve through veteran advocacy, health and wellness coaching, community leadership, business consulting, and instructional work in martial arts and self-defense. She is known for her ability to connect strategy with humanity, pairing strong organizational instincts with genuine care for people. Her interest in veteran service and memorial work is grounded in both lived experience and a belief in honoring sacrifice through meaningful action, education, and community-building. She is proud to support efforts that preserve the legacy of service while strengthening the lives of those who continue to carry it forward.
We invite you to learn more about Ms. Vyas.
