By Travis Gillmore
Contributing Writer
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump honored the lives of those lost on Sept. 11, 2001, during a somber ceremony at the Pentagon on Sept. 11 to mark the 24th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
“In the quarter of a century since those acts of mass murder, 9/11 family members have felt the weight of missed birthdays and empty bedrooms, journals left unfinished, and dreams left unfulfilled,” Trump said during the event. “To every member that still feels a void every day of your lives, the First Lady and I unite with you in sorrow, and today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget Sept. 11, 2001.”
The president recalled tales from the day, from what he described as horrific moments that tested the character of the United States, highlighting heroes who gave all to save others.
“Our country came face to face with pure evil,” Trump said. “On that fateful day, savage monsters attacked the very symbols of our civilization.”
He shared the history of the Pentagon’s construction, at one time the largest building in the world, by American tradesmen, which began 84 years ago on Sept. 11, 1941.
“This structure stood as a monument to American strength, power and cherished American freedom,” Trump said.
The names of 189 civilians and service members who died at the Pentagon on 9/11 were read aloud, and U.S. Navy members chimed a bell for each soul.
The Military Choir performed “Amazing Grace” before an invocation was read by Chief of Navy Chaplains Rear Adm. Gregory Todd.
“The building you see behind me, the War Department, was targeted with an act of savage evil,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said. “And today on these hallowed grounds, we gather to honor those victims and heroes with the resolve to never forget.”
He said that 9/11 was an “ultimate validator to serve.”
The spirit of the American people was revealed that day and in the decades that followed by the patriotic heroism displayed by those who responded with vigilance, Hegseth said.
Military leaders thanked current and past service members for their sacrifice and the hope they provide for generations yet to come.
“Sept. 11 reminds us that even in the darkest of times, American strength endures,” Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during the event. “And if attacked, we will immediately fight back.”
He said emergency responders and others raced into the fiery rubble to help the wounded, saving countless lives.
While the building burned, defense operations never ceased, and plans to respond were immediately initiated, Caine said.
The event took place the day after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah, and Trump announced that he will posthumously award Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on a date not yet determined.
