Washington: President Donald Trump has proclaimed September 11 (Friday) as Patriot Day, marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed 2,977 people in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
“A quarter of a century has passed since the terrible day of September 11, 2001, and an entire generation of Americans has now come of age with no living memory of that fateful day,” Trump said in a White House proclamation issued on Wednesday (local time).
He called for the promise to remember the victims and the events of that day to be renewed across the country.
“The passage of time must never dim what will forever burn bright in the conscience of our Nation,” Trump said. “Amid the ashes of Ground Zero, we made a solemn vow to Never Forget — a vow that must be renewed in every American heart, taught in every classroom, and honoured in every community across our land.”
The proclamation recounted how hijackers seized four commercial aircraft on September 11, 2001, and struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers confronted the hijackers.
Trump highlighted the actions of the passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93, including Todd Beamer, who helped lead the effort to retake the aircraft.
“In laying down their lives, those 40 patriots transformed a quiet field into hallowed ground — leaving behind an everlasting testament to the unbreakable will of the American people,” he said.
The President also honoured police officers, firefighters, emergency personnel, rescue workers and volunteers who responded to the attacks. Nearly 100 emergency and first responder agencies participated in rescue and evacuation efforts in New York City, according to the proclamation.
“The terrorists sought to break our spirit — they failed. They sought to divide us — they could not. They sought to make us afraid — instead, they awakened the mightiest force for justice the world has ever known,” Trump said.
He paid tribute to members of the US Armed Forces who served in conflicts following the attacks, including those killed or left with physical and psychological wounds.
“Our Nation owes them a debt that can never be repaid,” the President said.
Trump said the threat that produced the attacks had not disappeared and called for continued vigilance at home and abroad. He said his administration remained committed to protecting the United States through a policy of “peace through strength”.
“We must ensure that the memory of September 11 never fades into history, but remains a living inheritance passed from one generation of Americans to the next,” he said.
Trump directed all US departments, agencies and instrumentalities to fly the American flag at half-staff in honour of the 2,977 victims. He also invited state and territorial governors, organisations and individuals to participate in the observance.
(IANS)
