Also on Sunday, Secretary of State John Kerry began his memorial address by remembering the four Americans killed in a September 11, 2011, terror attack on a US outpost in Benghazi, Libya.
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As classical music drifted across the 9/11 Memorial plaza in lower Manhattan, family members and emergency first responders slowly read the names and delivered personal memories of the almost 3,000 victims killed in the worst attack on US soil since the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor.
At the Pentagon, where American Airlines flight 77 crashed, President Obama laid a wreath and paid tribute to the 184 victims who died there.
US President Barack Obama on Sunday said that al-Qaeda and Islamic State (Daesh) were out to change the Americans’ lifestyle.
In the shadow of the Pentagon’s western-most side, the president joined a small crowd of survivors of the attack on the Defense Department’s headquarters and the family members of others who died September 11, 2001. “You don’t move forward – it always stays with you”, said Tom Acquaviva, of Wayne, New Jersey, who lost his son Paul Acquaviva.
Obama began and ended his remarks by quoting from the Book of Proverbs: “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you”. Bind them around your neck.
On the fifteenth anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, President Barack Obama preached unity and praised the diversity of the United States during a memorial ceremony at the Pentagon.
After the silent period, victims’ relatives began reading the names of the almost 3,000 people killed when four hijacked aircraft hit the trade center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field. But many dignitaries attended, including Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Memorial services have been held across the U.S. in honour of those who lost their lives. The grief never goes away.
More events to pay tribute to 9/11 are set to take place throughout the day in NY, including a motorcycle ride through the city and a march of firefighters across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Trump said in a statement that it was a day of sadness and remembrance, but also of resolve. He said the nation’s security has been strengthened since 9/11 and that other attacks have been prevented.
Organisers planned some additional music and readings on Sunday to mark the milestone year.
The simple, reverential observance may be the norm now, but city officials fielded about 4,500 suggestions – including a Broadway parade honouring rescue workers and a one-minute blackout of all of Manhattan – while planning the first ceremony in 2002.
“We serve because of our belief in high ideals, and we serve to protect our families, friends, and fellow citizens”, Dunford said.
Meanwhile, the crowd has thinned somewhat at the anniversary ceremony in recent years. A design for a long-stalled, $250 million performing arts centew was unveiled Thursday.
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Nearly exactly a decade after the attacks, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by USA forces in a raid in Pakistan that Obama authorized.
