Fort Riley ? A wreath, a 21-gun salute and 13 new names read aloud at the Fort Riley Army post marked the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on Friday.

Family members and soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division gathered to commemorate those who died in the attacks on New York, the Pentagon and the hijacked plane that went down in Pennsylvania. The division also added the names of 13 soldiers and sailors who died in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past year.

“They were heroes by chance. They were heroes by choice,” said Maj. Gary Fisher, deputy chaplain for the 1st Infantry Division, of the soldiers and those who died in the attacks. “They are more than just names.”

In all, 166 soldiers, airmen and sailors from Fort Riley have died in the two wars.

Family members of those who have died in combat say the day reminds them of where they were in 2001, which then leads them to the memory of their loved ones and that they died fighting for their country.

Nicholas Mazarella’s brother Anthony is one of those whose names are etched in the twin columns of black marble near Fort Riley’s cavalry parade field. Mazarella’s “little brother” died in 2005 in Iraq.

“The day that I’m reminded of is 9/11, but eventually the memories go to my little brother,” Mazarella said. “It’s all tied together.”

He said the Army does a good job of remembering the families on days like Friday. But he said the rest of the year, most Americans aren’t paying attention to the war, other than reports of bomb blasts or deaths.

Mazarella’s brother was in Iraq only a few months before he died, but he told of the good things soldiers were accomplishing and the support Iraqis were starting to show.

“The news still doesn’t do a good job of talking about that,” Mazarella said.

Col. Randal Dragon, deputy division commander, said one day the ceremonies and memorials will cease, but he hopes that future generations who visit the Fort Riley monument will appreciate the sacrifice of those whose names are inscribed.

“They served to reaffirm American citizens that freedom would not be taken away,” Dragon said.

In Topeka, Gov. Mark Parkinson and first lady Stacy Parkinson marked the anniversary with a brief ceremony at a YWCA encouraging people to get involved in service projects. The first lady then went to a Topeka homeless shelter to serve lunch and a Kansas City center to help distribute food.

“Everyone that I know and everyone that I’m familiar with is remembering today in one way or another, and I don’t think that for hundreds of years, 9-11 will be forgotten,” the governor said after the YWCA event.