On the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, people gathered for ceremonies across the nation to remember that tragic day. It wasn’t about fancy words or big gestures; it was about coming together to honor the lives lost and embrace America’s resilience.
In New York, people gathered at the site where the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center fell to read aloud the names and remember the lives of those who died in the terror attacks.
“When faced with evil and an enemy who sought to tear us apart, we endured, we endured,” said President Biden during his remarks commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The president spoke on the resolve and courage of the American people in his remarks from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp released a videotaped message encouraging all Georgians to “pause and remember” the tragic events that “rocked the nation” on September 11, 2001.
“While these terrorist attacks did not break us, we continue to feel their impact on our country to this day. But though they intended to destroy this great nation, they failed, and America emerged stronger than ever before,” the First Lady said.
The governor spoke during a ceremony at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville as similar ceremonies played out across the state.
At Atlanta’s Christ the King Cathedral, the city’s police chief, Darin Schierbaum, recalled what happened after the attacks.
“On September the 12th, there was not Democrat and Republican,” he said. “On September the 12th, there was not Protestant or Catholic. On September the 12th, we had Christian congregations protecting Muslim mosques in our city so they could not be attacked. There was unity.”
In Habersham County, members of the public joined first responders and local veterans for a ceremony at the fairgrounds.
The Grant Reeves VFW 7720 Honor Guard paid tribute to those who died on 9/11 and in the wars that followed with a three-volley salute. Members of the Joseph Habersham Chapter of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution also paid tribute, firing a 6-pound Revolutionary Artillery Cannon during the ceremony.
In White County, local elected officials, members of Woodmen Life and the community gathered at the new tax commissioner’s office. They commemorated the day with a special flag-raising ceremony.
White County Commissioner and retired U.S. Marine Terry Goodger raised the flag. It was donated by Woodmen and will fly over the new office building.
“The raising of this flag serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of our nation,” said White County Commission Chair Travis Turner.
Flags flew at half-staff across the nation. Georgia’s Nashville and Marietta were among cities displaying nearly 3,000 American flags, one for each person killed in the terror attacks.
GPB News and CSPAN contributed to this report
