‘It’s important that we don’t forget’: A veteran’s mission 25 years after 9/11

The event holds special meaning for Davis. He was serving in the U.S. Army's Honor Guard near Washington, D.C., when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. When the Pentagon was struck, Davis' unit was among the first military teams called to assist in recovery efforts.

"Our base is about a mile away from the Pentagon," Davis said. "Our team was one of the first responders to come help the other agencies out there."

For two weeks, he worked alongside other first responders and recovery crews at the site. The experience changed him.

Originally planning to leave the Army after his first enlistment, Davis instead chose to continue serving.

"When 9/11 happened, I felt like I kind of had it easy being stationed in a ceremonial unit and I should probably pay my dues," he said.

He reenlisted, transferred to a combat engineer unit and later deployed to Iraq.