This year marks 21 years since the attacks of 9/11. Americans will always remember where they were when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. How they felt and, for many, how their lives changed.

I founded Spirit of America in response to 9/11. I wanted to stand up for what America stands for – the promise of a free and better life. And, I wanted to give other citizens like me a chance to serve those ideals, too. My TED Talk tells the story.

Last year, to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Spirit of America hosted a live stream event with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) H.R. McMaster, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the Honorable Michéle Flournoy, and former commander of the US Special Operations Command, Admiral (Ret.) Eric Olson.

“Our national security is everyone’s responsibility,” Admiral Olson said. “If we leave our security to a small portion of the nation, we simply won’t be as secure. There’s much that each of us can do to be better citizens in ways that strengthen all of us.”

“We are really good as Americans at picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves off, and demonstrating incredible resilience,” Flournoy said. “I have faith in our ability to take this country forward, to serve our communities and the nation. Spirit of America embodies what we can do when we pull our efforts and focus on what is best about what this country has to offer.”

Every day Spirit of America works alongside our troops and diplomats to demonstrate the best of what America stands for and to help them preserve the promise of a free and better life. Thank you for honoring that commitment with us.

Jim Hake
CEO