Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during the 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon Wednesday that “We are the United States of America” and “We do not bend to terror.”
“This department does not just defend our country and our citizens. It also defends America's founding values of democracy, freedom and liberty under law. And those beliefs have inspired generations of patriots to step forward and to wear the cloth of our nation,” Austin said. “And they still do.
“You know, only about 6% of today's troops were in uniform on 9/11. And some of our troops, about 21% of our troops, were born after 9/11. Some of our troops enlisted or were commissioned after 9/11 as our country came together in sorrow and determination. And others joined years later, spurred on by an enduring spirit of service,” Austin continued. “And we are profoundly grateful to them all. We thank the military families who make their service possible.
“And today, of all days, I want to especially thank my fellow veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And in memory of every American soldier, sailor, airman, marine and public servant who lost their lives in the wars that America fought after 9/11, we bow our heads,” Austin also said before pausing for a moment of silence.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday during a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon that “On behalf of the entire Department of Defense, let me offer my deepest condolences to the families, the friends, and the loved ones of the 184 souls who were stolen from us 23 years ago today here at the Pentagon and on Flight 77.
“We have repaired the damage to this building. But we cannot repair the damage to your hearts,” Austin said. “No words can take away your grief. No amount of time can make sense of the worst terrorist attack in American history. And I know that for those whose lives were changed forever on 9/11, it can feel as if more and more Americans are returning to normal life on each new September 11.
“But not here. Not at the Pentagon," Austin said. "Because we remember, the men and women of the Department of Defense remember, and we always will.”
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown Jr. said Wednesday during a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon that “Our nation, this building and the lives of everyone here were scarred that day by an act of horrific violence.
“Yet in the face of adversity, it also became a testament to the unyielding spirit, the enduring power of unity, a testament to our perseverance and to our resilience as a nation,” he said. “Today, we gather to remember the day, the loss and the determination.”
“The day – a Tuesday, 23 years ago, the Pentagon awoke to a day like any other. But at 9:37 a.m., the routine of the morning was shattered by the explosion of fire and steel as hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the west wall of the Pentagon,” he said.
“Those there on the day spoke of the acrid smell of fire, the great smoke that permeated its way through the corridors and across the building. But many noted an absence of panic despite the horror, shock and confusion,” Brown continued. “Through the chaos and terror arose a focused calm among the people trained -- the people there, trained military and civilian professionals -- dedicated to helping the wounded, dedicated to maintaining the mission. As families waited for a call to hear that their loved one was okay. Some of those families never received the call.”
{{#rendered}}Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are paying their respects Wednesday to the victims of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon.
A remembrance ceremony there is now underway, with the names of the victims being read aloud.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking Wednesday at a September 11th remembrance vigil in the Justice Department’s courtyard, said “we renew our commitment to doing everything in our power to keep our country safe from the threat of terrorism and to uphold the rule of law that is the foundation of our democracy.
Today, the department joins Americans across the country in remembering and reflecting on the tragedy of September 11,” he also said.
President Biden, former President Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and Ohio Sen. JD Vance were seen standing side by side Wednesday during the 9/11 remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero.
{{#rendered}}A 9/11 remembrance ceremony is underway Wednesday at Ground Zero in New York City.
President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance are in attendance, along with New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Moments of silence will be held during the moments in which the planes struck the Twin Towers and the names of each of the victims will be read.
Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris were seen shaking hands Wednesday at Ground Zero ahead of a remembrance ceremony for 9/11 victims.
The pair participated last night in a presidential debate.
President Biden also has arrived at Ground Zero for the ceremony.
Former President Trump and JD Vance have arrived in at Ground Zero in New York City for a 9/11 commemoration ceremony.
Prior to the start of the ceremony, Trump was seen briefly speaking with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy at Ground Zero.
{{#rendered}}The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. by al Qaeda jihadists changed the future of security for not only Washington, but for nations on every inhabited continent worldwide — sparking the Global War on Terror that continues to this day.
More than 20 years have passed since 19 hijackers boarded four commercial flights and crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and an empty field in Pennsylvania after passengers on United Airlines flight 93 thwarted what is believed to have been an attempt to strike either the U.S. Capitol or the White House.
The plan, outlined by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, killed 2,977 victims 23 years ago in what remains the largest terrorist attack in history and set in motion a global fight against extremism.
But despite the end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan and declared defeat over Islamic terrorist organizations like al Qaeda and the Islamic State, experts warn the threat posed by extremist groups remains acute to this day.
"The threat has evolved," Bill Roggio, senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of the Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital. "It's certainly much more difficult to launch a 9/11 style attack, but there's much more opportunity for jihadists from both al Qaeda and the Islamic State to launch individual attacks, such as we've witnessed over the last decade and a half particularly.
"Prior to 9/11, al Qaeda was operating openly in Afghanistan and on cellular level, in dozens of countries. And now there are safe havens and battlefields with 10s of 1000s of fighters that exist throughout the world," he added.
It’s been 23 years since the most deadly attack on American soil and, in the wake of the commemoration of Sept. 11, 2001, one survivor who escaped from the North Tower of the World Trade Center is looking back at the resilience shown that day and encouraging a new generation of learners to listen in.
Michael Hingson, a best-selling author and keynote public speaker, was a computer hardware sales manager recruited in 1999 to open an office and manage a team of people on the 78th floor of 1 World Trade Center.
"We were going to be doing some sales training that day," Hingson told Fox News Digital during a video interview.
On a crisp, clear September morning, the entire world fixated on their televisions and radios in horror as four American planes hijacked by terrorists crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, the Pentagon and the Twin Towers in New York City.
"I was in my office. A colleague, David Frank, was also with me," Hingson said. "He was from our corporate office. The two of us were going to be doing these sales seminars."
At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower.
"None of us knew what happened," Hingson said. "Tall buildings are made to flex in windstorms, and the building just started tipping and tipping."
"We actually moved maybe about 20 feet. David and I actually said ‘Goodbye’ to each other because we thought we were about to take a 78-floor plunge to the street. But then the building stopped flexing, and it came back and became vertical," he added.
There are 9/11 memorials throughout the United States where you can go at any time of the year to pay your respects to those who lost their lives on a tragic day in American history.
There is a memorial in New York City where millions of visitors go each year to honor the fallen and educate themselves on the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
9/11 memorials have been built in states including Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania and California.
{{#rendered}}Former President Donald Trump told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that Sept. 11, 2001 was a “horrible day” and “there's never been anything like it.”
Trump said he and running mate JD Vance spoke about 9/11 yesterday. The pair are heading to Ground Zero in New York City Wednesday morning for memorial events there, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
“I'm going down to the World Trade Center site, and I'll be down there for much of it,” Trump said.
An American flag has been unfurled at the Pentagon Wednesday ahead of the main observance ceremony there for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. is set to speak later this morning, followed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11, killing all 64 onboard and 125 in the Pentagon, the Department of Defense says.
Calls made from those inside the north and south towers on September 11, 2001, displayed great strength in the midst of tragedy.
Listening to the phone calls that were made, bravery can be heard, as people did their best to assist one another through the horrific events.
Radio calls from first responders, including Orio Palmer, show their incredible impulse to quickly come to the aid of those who were trapped inside the buildings, even though doing so put their own lives on the line.
Palmer was Chief of Battalion 7 and one of the first responders to the 9/11 attacks. Palmer was in impeccable shape, and used his strength to quickly climb up the tower. He managed to fix a broken elevator and a broken radio receiver, allowing the firefighters to once again communicate with one another about what they were seeing.
He entered the south tower, fixed the elevator and took it all the way up to the 40th floor of the building. After that, he started to make the climb on foot.
"Orio got up there pretty quick. Anyone who was wounded or dying, to know somebody was able to get up there, they knew there had to be a way out," Palmer's brother Stephen shared in the "9/11 Phone Calls from the Towers" documentary. "The people who were there at the point of impact to have seen him, I can only imagine there must have been some elation or euphoria that's probably indescribable. Just to see him and realize there's some hope here, thanks to this guy who just made it up here."
{{#rendered}}David Paventi was on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower when the first plane struck on 9/11.
A banker from Charlotte, North Carolina, Paventi was in New York City at the time on business. His company had a new office in the World Trade Center it was still moving into, with TV mounts screwed into the walls but TVs not yet installed.
The day before, Sept. 10, Paventi remembers looking out a window of the skyscraper on a day that was so muggy and foggy he couldn't see the streets below.
"There was another gentleman … that was up there with me that day — he and I had went and got coffee that morning and went upstairs — and I remember him saying to me, ‘How do airplanes not hit this building?’" Paventi recalled.
He didn't make much of the comment then, other than thinking there were air security and control methods in place to make sure that wouldn't happen.
The next day was a bright, crisp preview to autumn, Paventi said. Just before he and his team in the World Trade Center building were scheduled to start their morning meeting at a long table in a conference room on the 81st floor, American Airlines flight 11 hit the North Tower's 93rd floor, just 12 floors above Paventi's office, at 8:46 a.m.
He said it felt like what he'd imagine an earthquake feels like, even though he's never experienced one himself.
"I remember looking up … and the light was just shaking back and forth over the table," Paventi said. "So, my initial instinct was to get under the table because I didn't want the light to fall on my head. And as I was doing that, literally everyone in the conference room got up from their seats and took off out of the front of the room."
Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both traveled to New York City following their first presidential debate showdown, to put politics aside and commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Wednesday marks the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Nearly 3,000 people died as the result of a group of terrorists launching coordinated attacks against the U.S. by hijacking and crashing commercial airline planes at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in what became America’s most deadly terrorist attack.
Trump and Harris participated in their first presidential debate Tuesday night before they both traveled to New York City.
First, Trump is expected to visit the World Trade Center site, also known as Ground Zero, to attend the 9/11 memorial commemoration where he is set to deliver brief remarks.
Next, Trump is expected to visit New York Fire Department Engine 4, Tower Ladder 15.
Meanwhile, President Biden and Harris are also expected to visit the 9/11 memorial for the commemoration ceremony.
Biden and Harris are then expected to travel to Shanksville for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Flight 93 Memorial.
Later, Biden and Harris will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
Live Coverage begins here