A veterans group held a candlelight vigil Thursday night to honor the memory of those who died in the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the troops who have died in action since that date.

The Collegiate Veterans Association at KU held the ceremony, which was open to the public, in front of Wescoe Hall on the Kansas University campus.

During the vigil, participants who had lost friends, family, or comrades since 9/11, stepped forward and spoke briefly about each who had died.

Felix Zacharias, an Iraq War veteran, started the tradition three years ago. He said he was pleased with the turnout each year and surprised at how many people were drawn to the ceremony by word of mouth.

Zacharias said the organization held the vigil on the eve of September 11 in order to avoid interference from any other protests scheduled for the anniversary of the attacks. According to Zacharias, one of the goals of the vigil was to recognize the event as a tragedy, rather than a political event.