Americans across the country came together on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 to honor and remember the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. From ground zero to small towns, people gathered at memorials, firehouses, city halls, campuses, and other places to pay their respects.
Edward Edelman, reflecting on the day, expressed, “For those of us who lost people on that day, that day is still happening. Everybody else moves on. And you find a way to go forward, but that day is always happening for you.” It’s a sentiment shared by many who lost loved ones in the tragic events.
In New York, people gathered outside the Battery Tunnel for the Tribute in Light, gazing up at the pillars of light that pierced through the clouds, symbolizing hope and remembrance.
President Joe Biden, en route to Washington from a trip to India and Vietnam, attended a ceremony in Anchorage, Alaska, underlining how the impact of 9/11 was felt throughout the nation. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field, profoundly shaping American foreign policy and domestic concerns.
Eddie Ferguson, the fire-rescue chief in Virginia’s Goochland County, emphasized that on 9/11, “we were one country, one nation, one people, just like it should be.” Even in remote places like Goochland County, which is more than 100 miles from the Pentagon and three times as far from New York, a sense of connection is preserved through a local memorial incorporating steel from the World Trade Center.
Across the nation, communities paid tribute with moments of silence, tolling bells, candlelight vigils, and other commemorations. In Iowa, a 21-mile march began at 9:11 a.m. In Columbus, Indiana, 911 dispatchers broadcasted a remembrance message, and Fenton, Missouri, held a public memorial ceremony.
In a small community in Missouri, Mayor Joe Maurath highlighted the importance of remembering events like 9/11, saying, “it’s important for us to continue to remember these events. Not just 9/11, but all of the events that make us free.”
New Jersey’s Monmouth County even made September 11 a holiday for county employees this year so they could attend commemorations.
As part of commemorating the anniversary, many Americans engaged in volunteer work on Patriot Day and the National Day of Service and Remembrance, as designated by Congress.
At ground zero, Vice President Kamala Harris joined other dignitaries for a ceremony on the National Sept. 11 Memorial plaza, where the focus was on reading the names of the victims, allowing their relatives to pay tribute.
Biden, the first president to commemorate 9/11 in Alaska or the western U.S., continued the tradition of presidential remembrance. First lady Jill Biden laid a wreath at the Pentagon’s 9/11 memorial, and Doug Emhoff attended a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The Flight 93 National Memorial also launched an educational program to ensure the memory of 9/11 endures for future generations, offering a “National Day of Learning” program for teachers and students.
The nation collectively remembers 9/11 as a day of reflection, remembrance, and unity, ensuring that the events of that day remain a significant part of American history.
