В Вашингтоне пройдет церемония памяти 11 сентября с участием летчицы Хизер Пенни

WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) -- A woman who was flying a fighter jet on Sept. 11, 2001, will speak at a Washington event Sunday to commemorate that fateful day. Held at 4 p.m. on Sept. 6, the ceremony will take place at the Veterans Memorial helicopter at Washington Park, said Rachel Plasch, the city's communications coordinator. This year's ceremony will feature fighter pilot Heather "Lucky" Penney as the guest speaker, recognized for her service 25 years ago. Plasch said that on Sept. 11, 2001, First Lieutenant Penney was serving as an F-16 pilot with the District of Columbia Air National Guard when she was called to help defend the nation's capital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As reports came in that United Airlines Flight 93 had been hijacked and was headed toward Washington, D.C., Penney and her commanding officer, Lt. Col. Marc Sasseville, were ordered into the air. Plasch said that since there was no time to arm their F-16s with live missiles, if they reached Flight 93, they would have to use their own aircraft to bring it down. She said that before the flight could be intercepted, the passengers and crew on Flight 93 fought back against the hijackers. The plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa. Penney has consistently credited the passengers and crew as the true heroes of that day. Penney was part of the first wave of women who went directly into fighters from pilot training. The only woman in the 121st Fighter Squadron, she was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom for initial combat operations as a nighttime SCUD Hunter in the western deserts of Iraq, also supporting Special Operations Forces. Advertisement Advertisement She flew the F-16 for 10 years before having to make the decision to leave fighter aviation as a single mother. She then flew the special airlift mission and retired out of the Pentagon. Plasch said that for more than 10 years, Penney was a Director for various Air Force programs for Lockheed Martin, specializing in capture management, government relations and strategic business development. She is now a Senior Resident Fellow for the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies at the Air Force Association, where she is an expert on defense policy issues related to airpower and the Air Force. Along with Penney as the special guest speaker, the Washington ceremony will also feature The Gibson Girls, who will perform the National Anthem and "God Bless America," along with musical selections by Bagpiper Scott Whitman. Advertisement Advertisement The Tazewell Area Ceremonial Team and Tazewell Military Rights Team Honor Guard, Washington Fire Department, American Heritage Girls, Washington Police Department and Tazewell County Sheriff's Office will also take part in the remembrance. The ceremony will include the presentation of colors and raising of the flag, a wreath presentation and the reading of the names of the New York City Police Department, Port Authority Police Department and Fire Department of the City of New York members who lost their lives on Sept. 11. Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony Committee Chairman and Retired Fire Chief David Houseworth will help guide the ceremony throughout the afternoon, while Mayor Lilija Stevens will explain the significance of the Ten-Bell Ceremony following a moment of silence. Seating for the ceremony will be limited. Those attending are encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.