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Connections
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
Connections

Inspired to serve by 9/11

By Evan Dawson,
Megan Mack, Julie Williams
Published September 11, 2026 at 2:34 PM EDT
Four men wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man front left has short hair and is wearing a navy striped suit, white button-down shirt, blue paisley tie, blue socks and brown shoes; a balding man front right is wearing eyeglasses, a blue button-down shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers; a man back left has short brown hair, a brown beard and is wearing eyeglasses and a white button-down shirt; a bald man back right has a grey beard and is wearing a grey short-sleeved button-down shirt.
Mary Hussong-Kallen
/
WXXI News
(foreground) Nick Stefanovic, (background) Stephen Cady and Mike Capozzi with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, September 11, 2026
WXXI News

25 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, how do veterans who enlisted as a result of 9/11 feel about their decision to serve?

We discuss the question with local veterans. They share why they decided to enlist, what they learned, what their service meant then, and what it means now.

In studio:

Connections
Evan Dawson
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
See stories by Evan Dawson
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams