Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day in New York City, at the Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93. They were mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends, coworkers, first responders, service members, and ordinary people beginning what should have been an ordinary day.
Today, we remember them.
We remember the passengers and crews who never made it home. We remember the firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other first responders who ran toward danger while others were trying to escape. We remember the families whose lives were changed forever and the countless people who carried the weight of that day in the years that followed.
September 11 also revealed extraordinary courage, compassion, and unity.
Strangers helped one another. First responders acted without hesitation. Communities came together to comfort grieving families and support those who had lost everything. Across the country, people stood side by side with a shared sense of responsibility, resilience, and hope.
Twenty-five years later, the memories remain powerful.
For those who lived through September 11, the images, stories, and emotions of that day have never truly disappeared. For younger generations, remembering matters just as much. The lives lost should never become simply a page in a history book.
Today is a day to reflect, to remember, and to honor.
We remember the innocent lives taken too soon.
We remember the courage of those who responded.
We remember the families who endured unimaginable loss.
And we remember the strength shown by a nation in one of its darkest moments.
May we continue to honor those who were lost by carrying forward the compassion, courage, service, and unity that emerged in the aftermath.
September 11, 2001. We will never forget.