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'One step at a time': 9/11 Memorial Stadium stair climb remembers victims 25 years later

'One step at a time': 9/11 Memorial Stadium stair climb remembers victims 25 years later

ALYSSA JOHNSON Lincoln Journal Star
Sep 11, 2026
Sep 11, 2026 Updated 12 mins ago
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At 6 a.m. on Friday, Memorial Stadium was loud.

9-11 memorial stair climb — Crete firefighter Tim McLaughlin carries an American flag up the North Stadium steps during the 9/11 memorial stair climb Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

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25 years later, the grief of 9/11 still fresh for families of Nebraska victims

25 years later, the grief of 9/11 still fresh for families of Nebraska victims

On Friday, Matt Dorsey will return to Ground Zero, where his sister, Jennifer Dorsey-Howley, died 25 years ago. The Southeast graduate was 34, five months pregnant with her first child.

9-11 memorial stair climb — Waterloo Fire Department firefighter Cameron Schmeeckle, right, puts on his gear before participating in the 9/11 memorial stair climb Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Lincoln firefighter Jacob Wilderman leads the Station 6 crew down the steps of the South Stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Massive 9/11 memorial quilt preserves victims’ memories in Lincoln

Massive 9/11 memorial quilt preserves victims’ memories in Lincoln

Five football fields of fabric memorialize the victims of Sept. 11. Since 2015, the massive quilt has been in the care of a Lincoln museum.

Photos: First responders take part in Memorial Stadium stair climb to remember 9/11

9-11 memorial stair climb — Waterloo Fire Department firefighter Cameron Schmeeckle, right, puts on his gear before participating in the 9/11 memorial stair climb Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Waterloo firefighters Cameron Schmeeckle, left, and Nate Trofholz wear respirators and carry 40 pounds of gear while participating in the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — People climb the stairs of the North Stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Army ROTC cadets stand at attention before taking part in the 9/11 memorial stair climb Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Erika Thomas, public information officer for the Lincoln Police Department, right, climbs the steps of the West Stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Crete firefighters Landon Chao, left, and Tim McLaughlin take a quick rest as they watch people climb the steps of the West Stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Crete firefighter Tim McLaughlin carries an American flag up the North Stadium steps during the 9/11 memorial stair climb Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Crete firefighters Tim McLaughlin, left, and Landon Chao take a quick rest as they watch poeople climb the steps of the West Stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — An Army ROTC cadet climbs to row 25 of the West Stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Hundreds of participants climb over 2,071 stairs, representing the height of the World Trade Center towers, during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Waterloo firefighters, from left, Cameron Schmeeckle, Nate Trofholz and Isaac Workman wear respirators and carry 40 pounds of gear while participating in the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Army National Guard Second Lt. Branson Starns takes a moment to rest after carrying his rucksack up the steps of the North Stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Crete firefighter Tim McLaughlin carries an American flag up the North Stadium steps during the 9/11 memorial stair climb Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Hundreds of participants climb over 2,071 stairs, representing the height of the World Trade Center towers, during the 9/11 memorial stair climb Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Lincoln firefighter Jacob Wilderman leads the Station 6 crew down the steps of the South Stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Air Force ROTC cadets climb the south stadium steps as the sun begins to rise during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Memorial Stadium
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Lincoln Police Department officer Cameron Hruza takes a moment to catch his breath in the north end zone after the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Memorial Stadium. “Honestly, it's a great exercise, but more importantly, as a first responder, 9/11's a really big deal for us.” Hruza said. “It's something that's constantly brought up in our line of work. Getting out here for the memory of something that happened when I was a year old, but my parents were both police officers when it happened, so it hit a little closer to home for us. It's always good to get out here and just help help the remembrance of it.”
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Air Force ROTC Lt. Col. Caden Thompson, first right, and Cadet Maj. Brandon Dubas, right, take a minute to catch their breath at the top of the south stadium steps during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — An Air Force ROTC cadet climbs the south stadium steps as the sun begins to rise during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Army ROTC cadets climbs down the west stadium steps during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Alexander Kuszak climbs down the steps of the west stadium during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Memorial Stadium. When asked why it was important for people to remember 9/11, Kuszak stated: “Ultimately, I think it's really just a picture of what America is at its best. It was an incredibly tragic moment for our country, but it was also a moment that allowed us to all come together as countrymen and women and stand together to support everything that makes this country great.”
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

9-11 memorial stair climb — Air Force ROTC cadets and a member of Team RWB climb the south stadium steps as the sun begins to rise during the 9/11 memorial stair climb on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Reach the writer at 402-473-7241 or ajohnson2@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ajohnson6170