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Apply SAN ANTONIO (July 20, 2016)—Tomorrow, Texas A&M University-San Antonio will receive a sapling from the 9/11 Survivor Tree for the 15th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Survivor Tree is the sole tree that remained after the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings. The formerly damaged tree, a Callery pear tree, was nursed back to health and is standing strong at Ground Zero. Since 2013, the 9/11 Memorial has awarded qualified applicants a 10-ft seedling.
As a Military Embracing™ University, A&M-San Antonio’s goal in publicly displaying the tree is to provide a permanent memorial for all victims of 9/11, with a special emphasis on military victims. The University has a strong connection with the military and is the only designated Purple Heart University in San Antonio where 17% of its student body is military-affiliated.
The seedling will spread roots in the Healing Garden next to the University’s Patriots’ Casa—an academic home for the brave that provides academic, life and career skills support for military-affiliated students. The Patriots’ Casa opened in 2014 and is the first of its kind in the nation.
A&M-San Antonio‘s director of Military Affairs, Richard Delgado Jr., served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He wants people to remember the impact September 11, 2001 had on the military. "We will never forget,” he said. “We are tying this effort into A&M-San Antonio’s Military Embracing™ culture and we want to highlight the military involvement during the horrific moments of 9/11 and how it forever changed military operations.”
Ground Zero 360 nominated A&M-SA to receive the tree and will unveil a 9/11 exhibit in the University’s Patriots’ Casa on September 9 that will include artifacts and mementos from Ground Zero.
Paul McCormack, retired NYPD inspector and founder of Ground Zero 360, is championing the efforts of the University. He said, “San Antonio is known as Military City USA. A&M-San Antonio is providing great support to its military population and both of us want to honor those military heroes who died that day, those who served that day and those who decided to join the military as the result.”
The tree dedication ceremony will be held Sunday, September 11, 8 a.m., at Texas A&M University- San Antonio, One University Way, San Antonio, TX, 78224.
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About Texas A&M University-San Antonio
With a nearly 700-acre Main Campus to expand into, the military-embracing university recently announced its expansion to welcome freshman and sophomore applicants to enroll in fall 2016. Currently enrolling nearly 4,600 students, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is the fastest-growing university in the state. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are available for the lowest university tuition in San Antonio for a variety of in-demand fields, including teacher preparation, business, information technology, and cyber security. To learn more, visit www.tamusa.edu.