9/11 hijacked planes struck the win tower
President Joe Biden remembered the sacrifice of Americans on 9/11, while New Yorkers honored those who were killed when hijacked planes struck the Twin Towers.
Each year, police officers, firefighters, and city leaders read aloud the names of those who died in a ritual that has taken place annually since the deadliest attack on American soil—September 11th, 2001.
The bells rang six times, including when the passenger jets struck the World Trade Center’s North and South Towers at 12:46 and 1303 GMT, respectively.
In honor of the anniversary, Biden visited the Pentagon, the site of a plane crash that killed Al Qaeda hijackers.
With his hand over his heart, the president approached a wreath of flowers.
“It’s a lifetime and yet it’s a blink of an eye,” Biden said in a somber speech outside the Pentagon.
In his words, “that day changed the story of the American people.”. Those who attacked this nation attempted to wound its character, but could not change it.
He described the character of sacrifice, love, generosity, grace, and strength.
Biden also recalled Queen Elizabeth
Also, Biden recalled how Queen Elizabeth II – who died on Thursday at age 96 – sent the American people a touching message soon after the attacks. As Biden pointed out, grief is the price we pay for love.
Al Qaeda hijacked four planes in total. The third crashed into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers launched a revolt.
Dignitaries including Kamala Harris and Mayor Eric Adams attended the memorial event. Where relatives embraced and wept and held placards with images of their loved ones.
Jon Leslie Albert’s son said after reading several victims’ names, including his father’s, that the loss of his father is still palpable despite the time.
However, Biden warns that the country faces anti-democratic turmoil from within, particularly from supporters of his predecessor Donald Trump, who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Secure our democracy
“Secure our democracy together,” he urged Americans on Sunday. Every now and then isn’t enough to defend democracy. As a matter of fact, we must do it every single day.”
NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent condolences, calling September 11 “one of the most tragic days” in history.
Thousands of first responders, construction workers, and residents have since fallen ill from inhaling toxic fumes, many of them terminally.
