‘It just felt right’: Puget Sound Fire couple celebrates wedding anniversary every September 11th
Sep 11, 2026, 9:45 AM
Ryan and Naira Montero on their wedding day, September 11, 2004. (Photo courtesy of Naira Montero)
(Photo courtesy of Naira Montero)
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. While many of us are reflecting on the tragic events of that day, some are also celebrating milestones, such as a birthday or a wedding anniversary.
For Ryan and Naira Montero, September 11th is both a day of solemn remembrance and their wedding anniversary. That’s by design.
The Monteros both serve at Puget Sound Fire. He’s a fire inspector and investigator. She’s a community health registered nurse. They tied the knot on September 11, 2004.
‘Who would even think of doing this to us?’
When the towers fell on September 11, 2001, Naira was a newly commissioned Army Reserve lieutenant at JBLM. She spent the day in shock, glued to the news, trying to process what she was seeing.
“I was thinking we’re the U.S.,” Naira told KIRO Newsradio. “Who would even think of doing this to us?”
For Ryan, who was then still in the testing process to become a firefighter, different emotions hit all at once.
“I remember feeling extremely sad and extremely angry at the same time,” Ryan said.
‘The walk towards the fire instead of away from it’
For both, the shock, anger, and grief turned into action. Naira was mobilized for three years.
“When 9/11 happened, I was not a nurse yet, but during my mobilization, that’s what helped push me to become a registered nurse,” Naira said. “So that I could also help every day in my job, honoring those who lost their lives, who helped others. The walk towards the fire instead of away from it.”
“It didn’t deter me from wanting to be a firefighter,” Ryan said. “It accelerated my passion, my determination to get there.”
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‘We just wanted to add something positive’
The Monteros chose their wedding date as a way to honor what was lost — and both said they carry that commitment into the work they do every day.
“We didn’t want to take away from what happened on September 11th,” Ryan said. “We just wanted to add something positive to it. I can’t really put it into words, but it just felt right.”
To celebrate their 22nd anniversary, Ryan and Naira plan to continue their low-key tradition of a quiet dinner at Melrose Grill in downtown Renton.
They hope to one day take their three children to visit Ground Zero together.
They are among those telling their 9/11 stories as part of a special social media series from Puget Sound Fire entitled “Never Forget: 9/11 – 25 Years Later.”
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
