Anniversary | Leonard W. Kidd Memorial

On Patriot Day, we think about the impact September 11, 2001 has had on the world, over the past 20 years. Many of us knew the fallen directly or indirectly, and can remember where we were when the first plane struck the World Trade Center. As we think about this day and how it shaped our world, let us read a sentiment from the White House about how far we’ve come:

A Proclamation on Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, 2021
SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS
Twenty years ago, the United States endured one of the most unconscionable tragedies in our country’s history. The cowardly terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and onboard United Flight 93 cut short the lives of 2,977 innocent people. These attacks tore a hole in the heart of our Nation, and the pain of this tragedy still remains. Each year on this somber date, we remember the horror and bravery shown that day, just as we remember how we came together, united in grief and in purpose. Each year, we renew our solemn vow to never forget what happened on September 11, 2001, or those who lost their lives.

On Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, we honor every life that was taken too soon. We honor the first responders — firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency workers, and service members — who answered the call of duty, and the brave civilians who rushed into action to save lives that day. Their courage embodies the American spirit and resilience, and their heroism continues to inspire new generations of Americans.

My mother used to say that “courage lies in every heart, and one day it will be summoned.” It was summoned and shown by those who responded to the events on 9/11. First responders, emergency workers, and civilians ran to where the devastation was the greatest, where death came in an instant but where there were survivors to be found; a determined group of heroes onboard United Flight 93 sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others — in every case, Americans faced the unimaginable with resolve and courage. Today and every day, we draw hope from the strength and selflessness of those who stepped up to serve their fellow man and our Nation on that tragic day.

We also remember the patriotism and valor of our service members who pursued our attackers, delivered justice to Osama bin Laden, and degraded al-Qa’ida. We will keep our sacred obligation to care for our service members and veterans who served in Afghanistan over the last 20 years, as well as their families, caregivers, and survivors.

Over the last two decades the American people have demonstrated that the harder the circumstances, the more resilient and stronger we become. Our shared love of country and our shared values — regardless of race, gender, religion, origin, or economic status — unite us as Americans against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Today, on this Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, we move forward as one Nation, united by our common goal of liberty and justice for all. We remember those killed on September 11, 2001, and honor them through acts of service. I encourage all Americans to visit americorps.gov/911-day to learn about and seek opportunities to serve others on this day and to demonstrate once again that the ideals we hold, which many have tried to attack and destroy, are the very bonds that hold us together — even tighter in times of peril.

By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day,” and by Public Law 111-13, approved April 21, 2009, the Congress has requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized “National Day of Service and Remembrance.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2021, as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance. I call upon all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States to display the flag of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance in honor of the individuals who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I invite the Governors of the United States and its Territories and interested organizations and individuals to join in this observance. I call upon the people of the United States to participate in community service in honor of those our Nation lost, to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services, and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. eastern daylight time to honor the innocent victims who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

A Proclamation on Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, 2021 | The White House

In Remembrance of 9/11

On September 11, 2001, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks were perpetrated, against the United States, by the Islamic terrorist group Al Qaeda. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and substantial long-term health consequences. This was the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States, with 343 and 72 killed, respectively.

Four passenger airliners, which had departed from airports in the northeastern United States bound for California were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. Two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. Within an hour and 42 minutes, both 110-story towers collapsed.

Debris and the resulting fires caused a partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the World Trade Center complex, including the 47-story 7 World Trade Center tower, as well as significant damage to ten other large surrounding structures. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon (the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense) in Arlington County, Virginia, which led to a partial collapse of the building’s west side. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was initially flown toward Washington, D.C., but crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, after passengers thwarted the hijackers.

Heroes from 9/11