September 11, 2001, is one of those rare dates in history where everybody alive remembers where they were when it happened. The terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., and a plane crash in Pennsylvania, killed nearly 3,000 Americans. To many of that generation, it was their "Pearl Harbor."

After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. blamed the terrorist group al-Qaeda, whose leader, Osama bin Laden, was believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, protected by that country's Taliban. President George W. Bush sent U.S. troops to remove the Taliban and then launched operations in Iraq, removing that country's leader, Saddam Hussein, from power. Even after more troops were sent, the wars dragged on. In 2011, U.S. Navy SEALs killed bin Laden in Pakistan. The effort in Afghanistan did not wind down until 2021.

The wars involved many National Guard soldiers. Nearly all West Virginia units were sent overseas. In all, 39 West Virginians died because of the wars, although long-term head injuries and trauma raise the casualty count by immeasurable numbers.