Monday will mark the anniversary of September 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 innocent victims died in terrorist attacks on American soil. The day is dedicated to remembering those who died and the first responders who risked their own lives to save others. But it can become more than that.

Twenty-two years after “9/11,” many of us remember hearing the reports – or watching on television – as a plane flew into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Then, a second plane flew into the second tower. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth plane, intended for the U.S. Capitol, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. All four crashes were part of a series of suicide attacks organized by Al-Qaeda.

The question many of us asked in the days that followed was “Why?” The answer, according to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, was the Al-Qaeda hope that, by attacking these symbols of American power, they would promote widespread fear throughout the country and severely weaken the United States’ standing in the world community, ultimately supporting their political and religious goals in the Middle East and Muslim World.

Unlike remembrances of past battles and attacks, September 11 has become enshrined as Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance. The call to “never forget” urges us to set aside our differences and do something for others. According to the nonprofit group MyGoodDeed, founder of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, the purpose of the day is to transform the anniversary of 9/11 from a day of tragedy into a day of going good. A day such as that is deserving of the mandate to never forget. Service is another aspect of patriotism.