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It’s been 23 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and, on Wednesday, leaders at the Pentagon will pause to reflect on a day marked by tragedy and heroism.
Nearly 3,000 people died during the attacks, including 184 people killed when a hijacked plane crashed into the Defence Department headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
“I’m honoured to join you in fulfilling our enduring promise to never forget what happened on this day and in this place, and to honor those who we have lost,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said during an observance on Tuesday.
“What sticks with me more than two decades later is the collective resolve and resilience this nation can and did show in the face of horrific violence.”
In a display of resiliency, the Pentagon unfurled an American flag over the building as the sun rose on Wednesday.
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are set to speak at a ceremony honouring the lives lost. The ceremony is set to begin at 9 a.m. You can watch the Pentagon remembrance live on this page.
Victims’ memorials began early in New York and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as well.
Across the country, thousands of volunteers honour the courage and sacrifice of that day by beautifying dozens of America’s national military cemeteries.
Credit: https://www.nbcwashington.com/
