September 11 remains etched in the memory of America and the world. Twenty-four years since the terrorist attacks that claimed thousands of innocent lives, the annual commemoration continues to carry with it solemnity, remembrance, and a renewed sense of national reflection. The anniversary is never simply a date on the calendar. It is a poignant reminder of grief, courage, and resilience.
On Thursday, ceremonies unfolded across New York City, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, marking yet another year in which the nation gathered to reflect on the loss of 2,977 people who perished on September 11, 2001, alongside those killed in the earlier 1993 World Trade Centre bombing. Families, leaders, and survivors carried forward the promise that the lives of the fallen would never be forgotten.
Ground Zero: Reading the Names
The heart of the commemoration began at Ground Zero in New York. At 8:46 a.m., silence fell across the city, marking the moment the first plane struck the North Tower. Families of victims then began the annual reading of the names of those lost, a ritual that would continue for four hours. More than 2,700 of the lives taken on that morning died at the World Trade Centre, and the ceremony has become one of the most personal, enduring traditions of the anniversary.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, and former mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani stood among the mourners. The ceremony was attended by state and national figures, including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and FBI Director Kash Patel. In her statement, Governor Hochul affirmed, “Today I join the world in remembering the nearly 3,000 souls taken on 9/11, the people who went to work and never came home, and the brave heroes who ran toward danger to save others.”
Mayor Adams struck a chord of resilience, reminding the world that “Many of our enemies thought we were going to collapse as a country, but we got up 9/12. Teachers taught, builders built. We showed the globe our resiliency, even in the midst of pain.” His words echoed the enduring spirit of recovery that followed the devastation.
In the evening, Hochul directed landmarks across New York State, including One World Trade Centre and the Empire State Building, to be illuminated in blue, a solemn tribute to the memory of the day.
Remember the Sky
This year’s remembrance also carried with it a broader public initiative. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum continued its “Remember the Sky” commemoration, an installation of thousands of tiles painted in shades of blue representing the color of the September 11 sky. On social media, people around the world participated by sharing images and reflections under the same theme. It is an effort designed not only to preserve memory but also to introduce younger generations to the lessons of 9/11 and to ensure the promise to never forget is honored.
The Pentagon: A Ceremony of Reflection
In Washington, the Pentagon hosted its own observance. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump laid a wreath at the America’s Heroes Memorial and took part in a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m., the precise time Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Military officials read aloud the names of the 125 people killed inside the building, along with the 59 passengers aboard the aircraft.
Trump’s remarks blended remembrance with resolve. He declared September 11, 2025, as Patriot Day 2025, calling for flags to be flown at half-staff. In his speech, he affirmed, “In America, we take blows but we never buckle. We bleed, but we do not bow. And we defy the fear, endure the flames and emerge from the crucible of every hardship stronger, prouder and greater than ever before.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reflected on the wars that followed the attacks, noting both the sacrifices made by generations of soldiers and the lessons still to be learned. “Forged in the crucibles of Afghanistan and Iraq, we stood watch in distant lands, on dangerous missions, often, in retrospect, nebulous missions. All to secure our people. And so we could live in peace,” he said. He urged that the memory of 9/11 be honored by using war only to punish that intent on terror, rather than as a tool of endless foreign ventures.
Shanksville and Beyond
In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, another ceremony honored the passengers of Flight 93 who stormed the cockpit and forced the hijacked plane to crash before reaching its intended target. That site has become synonymous with sacrifice, embodying how ordinary citizens turned into extraordinary heroes.
In Boston, ceremonies also honored the 206 victims from Massachusetts who perished. Both American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, which departed from Logan Airport, were flown into the Twin Towers. The names of those lost from Massachusetts were read aloud, accompanied by moments of silence.
Stories of Survival
Among the reflections this year was a powerful recollection from Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, a firm that lost more than 650 employees in the North Tower. Lutnick described how he narrowly escaped death because he had been dropping his son off at kindergarten. He remembered sprinting through the streets as clouds of smoke and debris followed. His words captured the harrowing personal dimension of a tragedy that still reverberates across thousands of families and communities.
A Legacy Carried Forward
From the reading of names to the silence at moments of impact, from the “Remember the Sky” initiative to the wreath laid at the Pentagon, the commemoration of September 11 is both national and deeply personal. It reflects a balance between grief and strength, between mourning what was lost and cherishing what endured.
Senator Marco Rubio perhaps summarized it best when he observed that there were a pre-9/11 America and a post-9/11 America. Life changed in profound ways; from the way citizens travel to the way security is understood. But what remains constant is the pledge to remember.
September 11 will forever live in the collective consciousness. As long as names are read, skies are remembered, and stories of courage are retold, the legacy of those lost will endure.
This year’s ceremonies confirmed that America continues to carry forward the memory of the day not only with solemnity but also with an unshakable resolve. The families of the victims, the leaders in attendance, and the citizens who paused to reflect all reaffirmed that promise once more. The attacks of 2001 scarred the nation but did not break it. Each anniversary is a reminder that memory is powerful and that resilience remains the truest tribute to the lives taken.
Written by Olivier Noudjalbaye Dedingar, USA/UN Correspondent.
