Pepperdine University to Commemorate 20th Anniversary of September 11 with Annual Waves of Flags Display and Remembrance Events
On Saturday, September 11, Pepperdine University will commemorate those who lost their lives and their loved ones in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, with the University’s 14th annual Waves of Flags display.
Nearly 3,000 flags will fly in Alumni Park along Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road—one for each innocent victim, including a national flag for each foreign country that lost a citizen in the attack. The flags will be raised Wednesday, September 8, and lowered Sunday, September 26, 2021.
Started by students in 2008, Waves of Flags has become a Pepperdine tradition, one that attracts attention and admiration from across the country. It has come to transcend the commemoration of a single tragic day. The display educates both students and people far beyond the campus about the history of the United States and the sacrifices that heroic men and women have made to keep it safe, prosperous, and free.
“On September 11, 2001, our nation and the world were forever changed. Twenty years later, we continue to honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives and the first responders who sacrificed everything for their country and fellow man,” said Pepperdine University president Jim Gash. “The hearts of Pepperdine University’s students, faculty, and staff collectively break for that tragic loss we still feel today. May those who lost their lives and those left grieving be honored by our commemoration and know that Pepperdine stands with them.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001, a milestone for which the University has planned a full day of remembrance and reflection. Though this anniversary is a somber occasion, Pepperdine invites students and the public to join as it honors the heroism of and sacrifice made by the friends, neighbors, and family members lost on that fateful day.
Event Schedule
(All Times PDT)
All events are free and open to the public. All attendees are asked to register to attend the day’s events. Members of the media should note the United 93 film screening is closed to the media, and the keynote speech being given by Gary Sinise at the Honoring the Heroes of 9/11 Ceremony may not be recorded.
Waves of Flags
On display September 9–25
Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road
2,977 flags in Alumni Park honoring each of the fallen
Silent Tribute and Remembrance
5:30 AM–7 AM
Thomas E. Burnett Jr. Heroes Garden
Wreath laying for each of the four airplanes downed
Tribute to Victims
8 AM–2 PM
Alumni Park
All 2,977 victims' names on scrolling displays
Chaplain's Prayer Service
9 AM
Amphitheatre
United 93 Film Screening - CLOSED TO THE MEDIA
9:30 AM
Elkins Auditorium
Honoring the Heroes of 9/11 Ceremony - MEDIA MAY NOT RECORD THE KEYNOTE SPEECH
2–3 PM
Alumni Park
Keynote Speaker: Gary Sinise
Actor, Humanitarian, and Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation
The Waves of Flags display is made possible each year by the Waves of Flags Endowment Fund, which ensures support for the University's annual tradition so that the men and women who perished in the attacks on September 11, 2001, will be remembered on Pepperdine's Malibu campus for years to come.
Learn more about the Waves of Flags display and related events or donate to the Waves of Flags Endowment Fund.
Media Contact
Public Relations Office
pr@pepperdine.edu
818.702.1401