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"Nineteen years ago, New York City, the nation, and the world were forever altered when shortly before 9 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, four airplanes, piloted by terrorists, rained destruction on an unsuspecting country, extinguishing 2,977 innocent lives in a few short hours.
In New York City, the sight of the burning World Trade Center towers remains indelibly engraved within those who lived here that day. The sudden shock of the collapsing iconic towers compounded with an attack on the Pentagon and the thwarted hijacking of a plane that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania stirred the American people into decisive action.
Over the following days, the best of who we are as a people was on display as first responders rushed to recover survivors from the rubble and tend the injured. Young men and women flocked to recruitment centers, driving a surge in enlistment in the Armed Forces that continued for years afterward. Soon, those same Service Members would take part in Global War on Terrorism combat activities, largely in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Today, we honor the lives of those lost on September 11th and its aftermath. We also acknowledge with gratitude those first responders, Veterans, and volunteers who acted selflessly and dedicated so much of themselves on that fateful day.
This year, our commemorations will look different as we collectively seek to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Despite that, we can each observe moments of silence in our own ways and times to mark the morning of the attacks. At night, the 9/11 tribute lights will still shine forth, showcasing the indomitable imprint of the two towers into the sky—a beacon of hope and remembrance for the country and all that we have endured. Let us take time to memorialize that loss and redouble our efforts to create a better future for the United States of America, our children and their descendants, and our planet."
- Lt. Col. James Hendon
Commissioner
New York City Department of Veterans' Services
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