Joseph Quinn, who lost his brother, Jimmy, appealed to Americans to regain the sense of unity that welled up after the terror attacks.
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Here are nine images of the tributes and ceremonies that sought to remember the victims of the unspeakable tragedy. He urged all Americans to honor the memory of the almost 3,000 victims of the attacks that targeted the Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon, and another airliner that crashed into a Pennsylvania field.
Still, the nation tries to put partisan politics on hold on the anniversary, and both Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican rival Donald Trump were at the anniversary ceremony at the World Trade Center.
A large American flag is displayed on the filed in remembrance of 9/11 during the national anthem before a game between the New Orleans Saints and the Oakland Raiders at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
A firefighter touches the names of the firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 attacks carved in the south pool during 15th anniversary ceremony of the attacks on the World Trade Center at the Sept. 11 memorial, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in NY. Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Dont believe it, said Quinn, who added that he served in the military in Iraq after September 11.
President Barack Obama speaks during an observance ceremony at the Pentagon honoring the memory of those killed 15 years ago in the terrorist attacks on 9/11, September 11, 2016.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign says the Democratic presidential nominee left the 9/11 anniversary ceremony in NY early after feeling “overheated”.
“I believe most of her spirit, or at least some of her spirit, is here”, Cava said.
Mrs. Clinton was forced to leave early.
US President Barack Obama, who marked the anniversary with a moment of silence in the Oval Office, was due to address a remembrance service at the Pentagon. The two candidates had followed the custom of suspending all TV ads for the day.
For the first time, the Shanksville ceremony is being held outside the visitor center that opened previous year rather than at the granite mall that runs along the crash site.
FILE- In this Sept. 11, 2015 file photo, Betsy Wolk of Columbia, Md., left, rests her chin against her husband, Herb Wolk, as they visit the bench dedicated to their son-in-law, Navy Lt. Darin Pontell, at the Pentagon Memorial on the 14th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
About an hour before the official commemoration start, police officers in uniform and bagpipers rehearsed part of the ceremony involving a display of the United States flag.
At 9:37, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. About half an hour later, at 10:03, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to take control of the plane after hearing about the other attacks.
Organizers have planned some additional music and readings to mark the milestone year.
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But some at the ceremony pleaded for the nation to look past its differences. But they were keeping close to what are now traditions: moments of silence and tolling bells, an apolitical atmosphere and the hourslong reading of the names of the dead. Hundreds of people also are expected at a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville.
