For some Americans, September 11, 2001, feels like yesterday, but for others, it may feel like distant history because it was a traumatic event for so many. The day started with such promise on a sunny, picture-perfect fall day, but no one who woke up that morning, heading to work or to the airport, knew the tragedy that lay ahead. As we mark the 21st anniversary of 9/11, we remember all of those who lost their lives on that day and honor the heroic acts of first responders and ordinary citizens, who went above the call of duty to help others in need.
The downtown site in New York City is now marked by a memorial, a museum and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The Pentagon has stone benches that honor the lives lost in the building and on Flight 77. Shanksville, Pennsylvania also built a moving Tower of Voices to observe the courageous members of Flight 93. And Boston’s Logan International Airport, the site where two of the flights originated from, memorializes American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175.
The beautiful memorials represent a tragedy, but they also shine a light on the incredible feeling of love demonstrated in the days following the event — one that President Obama highlighted in his radio address in honor of the 10th anniversary. “Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11,” he said.
We will never forget, and our hearts are with the families who lost their loved ones on 9/11.
A version of this article was originally published on Sept 11, 2021.
Flowers at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum
On Sept. 11 every year, families lay flowers at the North Tower pool at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.
Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial at Liberty State Park
Many watch the sunrise behind in New York City seen through the Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial at Liberty State Park.
Roses at the Memorial
Despite many leaving an array of flowers at the memorial, many leave white roses specifically to honor the fallen’s birthdays, per their website.
Logan International Airport
The 9/11 Memorial at Boston’s Logan International Airport honors the passengers and crews of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 that hit the North and South Towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center.
Michael Iken
Michael Iken was a bond trader at Euro Brokers on the 84th floor of the World Trade Center’s South Tower. He died at the age of 37, but his widow, Monica Iken-Murphy, often places flowers on the name of her husband at the September 11 Memorial at Ground Zero in New York City.
9/11 Memorial & Museum
One World Trade Center (formerly the Freedom Tower) rises up 1,776 feet — and that number is no coincidence — it’s in honor of the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is also located here on the footprints of Tower One and Tower Two.
Floral Tribute
Flowers are often left by friends and family members (and even strangers) by the names of the fallen at the reflective North and South memorial pools.
World Trade Center Slurry Wall
On the museum’s western side is the World Trade Center slurry wall, which is 60-feet tall. It’s a part of the original structure and miraculously survived after the towers had fallen.
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is located nearby Washington Reagan National Airport, so there are daily reminders of what happened here. Each year, a large American flag is unfurled and hung from the building to honor those lives that were lost on 9/11.
National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial
The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial has a moving site where 184 benches memorialize the loved ones lost in The Pentagon and American Airlines flight 77.
The Towers of Light & The Tower of Voices
The stunning Towers of Light tribute shines behind The Tower of Voices at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. No one will ever forget the selfless acts of the crew and passengers on this flight.
Flight 93
Former Vice President Mike Pence honored the heroic actions of the Flight 93 passengers at the 16th anniversary in 2017.
“Without regard to personal safety, they [the victims] rushed forward to save [our] lives,” he said, via Associated Press. “I will always believe that I and many others in our nation’s capital were able to go home that day and hug our families because of the courage and sacrifice of the heroes of Flight 93.”
World Trade Center Tribute Lights
Every year, spectators and photographers line up on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River to take in the beauty of the World Trade Center tribute lights.
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