For two WellSpan team members, Patriot Day is deeply personal.

Dr. John Turner, interim vice president of medical affairs and surgeon at WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital, was in New York City when the attacks unfolded. Chaplain Ricky Phillips, a WellSpan hospice chaplain who has worked within Army Chaplaincy, has spent years helping others find healing while honoring the memory of those lost aboard Flight 93.

Though their experiences were very different, both men carry forward the same lesson: in moments of crisis, people instinctively come together to help. In honor of 25 years since the attacks, they’re sharing their perspectives. 

A call to serve in New York City

On the morning of Sept. 11, Dr. Turner was attending a surgical conference in Manhattan, just a few miles north of the World Trade Center.

The conference came to an abrupt halt when news of the attacks began to spread. Like countless health care professionals across the city, Turner immediately looked for a way to help. Volunteers – many of which were also attendees of the surgical conference – were directed onto buses and transported to hospitals preparing for an influx of victims.

Stepping off the bus, he remembers a scene unlike anything he had experienced before.

"There were papers flying everywhere and dust covering the streets. You could tell the impact had spread far beyond the towers themselves," he said.

Turner was transported to a local hospital, where physicians and medical teams waited to care for survivors.

At first, there was hope. But as the hours passed, it became increasingly clear there would be far fewer survivors than anyone had imagined.

"What stands out to me most is the emotion from the hospital staff," Turner said. "Many of them had family members or friends in the World Trade Center. Yet they were still there, ready to help."

For Turner, who served in the U.S. Navy and spent months deployed to the Middle East with the U.S. Marine Corps, the experience reinforced a principle that continues to guide his leadership philosophy today: servant leadership.

"I believe that virtually everyone who goes into health care does it because they want to help others," he said. "We're here to save lives and make a positive difference."

He witnessed that spirit throughout New York City in the days following the attacks.

"One of the remarkable things that came out of that day was the compassion people showed one another," he said. "We were united in caring for each other."

25 years later, that remains his enduring memory.

Finding healing at Flight 93

While Turner witnessed the immediate response in New York City, Chaplain Ricky Phillips has spent years reflecting on another site forever tied to Sept. 11: the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville.

Today, Phillips participates in remembrance events connected to the Flight 93 community, delivering a liturgy at the Remember Me Memorial developed nearby and helping to plant memorial trees honoring those who lost their lives.

"The Memorial belongs to the families," Phillips said. "Every part of it reminds us of the lives that were lost and the people who continue to carry their memories forward."

Soon after the attacks, Phillips was activated within Army Chaplaincy under 28th Division Chaplain to lead a Family Assistance Center supporting military families whose loved ones were deployed in response. Families faced uncertainty, separation and fear as troops mobilized to locations across Europe and elsewhere.

For Phillips, the experience became one of the defining moments of his ministry.

"To be able to provide people with the opportunity to heal and give them a way to work through what they experienced is a privilege," he said.

Phillips, a hospice chaplain of two decades, encourages people to bring their grief, anger or sadness into a place of prayer, reflection and faith before returning to face life's challenges with renewed strength. He has spent countless hours walking alongside patients and families during some of life's most difficult moments.

"It was a reminder that there are always helpers around you. Firefighters, police officers, health care professionals, neighbors and friends," shared Phillips. 

The enduring legacy of Patriot Day

Though the attacks happened 25 years ago, both Turner and Phillips believe the lessons of Sept. 11 remain as relevant today as ever.

For Turner, the day serves as a reminder not to let hatred define how we treat one another.

"Don't let hate drive you," he said. "You can disagree with someone and still walk away as friends."

For Phillips, the legacy of 9/11 is found in resilience and hope.

"The American people showed incredible strength after that day," he said. "We saw people helping people, serving others and caring for our neighbors."

Their reflections mirror what caregivers experience every day throughout WellSpan.

Whether responding to an emergency, supporting a grieving family or caring for a patient through illness and recovery, health care professionals are often called to step forward when others need them most.

25 years after 9/11, the stories of those who answered that call continue to inspire a simple but powerful truth: even in humanity's darkest moments, compassion endures.