DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Hundreds of ROTC cadets from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University honored the heroes of Sept. 11 with a memorial stair climb at the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday morning.

Starting before sunrise, more than 600 Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC cadets climbed the equivalent of 2,100 stairs, the same number New York City firefighters faced inside the World Trade Center on 9/11.

This is the second year Embry-Riddle’s ROTC detachments have taken part in the tribute. For the first time, United Airlines also joined the event, providing support and reflecting on its own losses from the attacks.

“For United, we lost two aircraft that day with crew and passengers, and that was an extremely significant event for us,” said Paul Ryder, a United Airlines pilot. “But

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