SOUTH JORDAN — A free immersive exhibit marking a quarter-century since the Sept. 11 attacks will be open to the public this weekend in South Jordan, featuring firsthand accounts from people who were at Ground Zero that day.
"Utah Remembers: The 9/11 Project" at the USU Bastian Agricultural Center features an immersive timeline of the attacks, along with individuals who were present at the World Trade Center sharing their perspectives and recalling their experiences.
The event is a partnership between South Jordan City and the Major Brent Taylor Foundation.
"All the training I took couldn't prepare me for what I was about to see," said New York City Transit Authority first responder Hector Soto. "When I actually got there, my jaw was just on the ground. It's like, what just happened here?"
Soto, who is part of the exhibit, described how he arrived after the towers had already fallen and witnessed the overwhelming grief of families searching for their loved ones.
"There was a huge crowd, and it was just immediate relatives to the people that worked in the towers, and they were looking for their loved ones, and it was tough to see," he shared.
Soto hopes younger generations, many of whom were not yet born when the attacks occurred, come away from the exhibit with a deeper understanding of what happened and why it matters.
"They need to know what happened," he said. "Our home was attacked, and all these people that lost their lives and why, and how we got into the war on terror."
Beyond remembrance, the event also serves as a platform for service and volunteerism. Nonprofit and service organizations will showcase their work and recruit community members. A professional career fair is also part of the event, spotlighting military, medical, fire, police, civic, and educational professions.
Utah Remembers: The 9/11 Project runs through Monday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is free and open to everyone.
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