(The Center Square) – New Yorkers, Americans from across the country, and people from all over the world came to the World Trade Center memorial site this week, culminating in a memorial service Friday morning.
President Donald Trump, many elected officials, families of those killed on 9/11, first responders and member of the military were in attendance.
Thousands of people have been packed in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to learn about the events of 9/11 and what led up to them, and to learn of the acts of service and bravery in the aftermath and throughout rescue and recovery efforts
During the annual commemoration ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial in lower Manhattan, family members read the names of 2,983 men, women and children killed by Islamic terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, and Feb. 26, 1993, due to the fact that the north tower of the World Trade Center was attacked twice.
The 1993 terrorist bombing killed six. The 2001 terrorist attack killed 1,470 in the tower and 87 on American Airlines Flight 11, the hijacked plane that crashed into it, The Center Square reported.
Those killed on 9/11 were between the ages of 2.5 and 85, from 90 countries and from varying ethnic, socioeconomic and faith backgrounds.
“Twenty-five years later, the responsibility to remember 9/11 – and share the stories of sacrifice and heroism that inspired the world – has not diminished. In City Hall, we vowed to bring Lower Manhattan back stronger than ever, and its comeback is a testament to the resilience that carried our city and country forward. As the history of 9/11 continues to pass from those who lived it to those who learned it, our vow to Never Forget takes on new meaning – and requires us to preserve the stories and lessons of 9/11 for generations to come,” said Michael Bloomberg, New York City’s former three-term mayor who chairs the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
The ceremony paused for six moments of silence, at:
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8:46 am—, when the first hijacked plane, American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower;
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9:03 am, when the second hijacked plane, United Airlines flight 175 hit the south tower;
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9:37 am, when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon;
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9:59 am, when the south tower collapsed;
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10:03 am, when hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Penn.;
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10:28 am, when the north tower collapsed.
It also started a new tradition, pausing for a moment of silence for the first time in 25 years, around 12:20 pm to acknowledge all who’ve died from 9/11-related illness or injuries.
“Twenty-five years after 9/11, we remain steadfast in our responsibility to remember the 2,983 people who were killed by the attacks in 2001 and 1993, and to ensure their stories live on. As more people come of age with no memory of that day, this anniversary is an important moment to come together, reflect on how 9/11 changed our country, and reaffirm our shared promise to never forget,” 9/11 Memorial & Museum president and CEO Beth Hillman said.
“For so many families, returning to this place and hearing the names of our loved ones – including my husband, David – is a powerful reminder that they will never be forgotten. Soon, those who witnessed 9/11 will be outnumbered by generations who know that day only through the names we read aloud, the names etched in bronze on the Memorial, and the stories preserved in the Museum. That is how we ensure that those we lost remain more than history,” 9/11 family member and 9/11 Memorial & Museum founding trustee Paula Grant Berry said.
The museum remains committed to reaching more than 100 million Americans who weren’t alive 25 years ago or are too young to remember 9/11. Its annual Anniversary Digital Learning Experience is providing schools worldwide with access to a 30-minute film featuring first-person accounts of the Sept. 11 attacks and aftermath.
It’s also encouraging Americans and others around the world to participate in Remember the Sky on Sept. 11 by sharing a photo of the sky with a personal, commemorative message. It’s also marking the 25th anniversary through The Never Forget Fund, with Bloomberg providing matching donations dollar for dollar, up to $25 million.
The museum’s Tribute in Light will also be on display at dusk. First launched six months after 9/11, the twin blue lights beam every year at dusk on Sept. 11 until dawn on Sept. 12. Displayed from the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the memorial, they reach up to four miles into the sky. They are comprised of 88 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs positioned into two 48-foot squares, resembling the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers. The beams can be seen from a 60-mile radius around lower Manhattan.
