Tributes for the victims of 9/11 on the 21st anniversary of the terror attacks poured in across the D.C. area, including from President Joe Biden, the mayor of D.C., a man on a four-day mission to honor the flight crew who died on Flight 175 and a congregation at the National Cathedral.
In the morning, the president spoke about the importance of honoring the legacy of those we lost at the Pentagon, where the pain of the attack that killed 184 people is still fresh for so many.
“Twenty-one years is both a lifetime and no time at all,” Biden said at the somber wreath-laying ceremony.
The president spoke about grief as rain fell, and the sacrifice of first responders. While recognizing that so much was taken from the American people that day, Biden acknowledged that the country showed its strength.
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“What we will not change, what we cannot change and never will, is the character of this nation that the terrorists thought they could wound,” he said.
General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, echoed the statement.
“Terror will never destroy us,” he said. “It will never destroy the idea that is America."
D.C. Mayor Bowser and several D.C. Council members came together at a fire station in Northwest to honor the lives lost.
“The face of evil and terror impacted our lives and countless U.S. citizens, but through the face of terror, we demonstrate courage, determination and the will to fight for what we believe in,” she said.
In Photos: Biden Honors 9/11 Victims at the Pentagon
Paul Veneto, a former flight attendant who wanted to honor his friends who died on 9/11 by pushing a drink cart from Dulles International Airport to the Pentagon, could be seen from Chopper4 completing his four-day mission.
“There’s only one reason I did it, and there's still only one reason I’m doing it, it's to recognize these guys,” Veneto said.
During a special service held at the National Cathedral, there was a moment dedicated to thanking first responders — both those who died in the terror attacks and those who continue to put their lives on the line every day.
“Give us strength and courage to all first responders as they do the crucial work,” the congregation prayed.
Correction (Sept. 11, 2022 at 9:22 p.m. EST): This article has been updated to reflect that this is the 21st anniversary of 9/11.
