Pennsylvania is where United Airlines flight 93 crash on 9 11. Passengers are believed try to oveake hijacks. A commemoration ceremony underway now for the 40 passengers and crew that died that day. Vice president mike pence one of the speakers ang with interior seety on your screen. Public lands and national pas and man meants and National Memorials such as this e. Please wcome the united stes secretary of the interior ryan sinki sinki. Thanks mike. At a butiful day as it was that fateful morning. We all remember 9 11 somewhat differently. For , i was a seal instructor in coronado. And on that fateful morning i knew that our country would be forer changed. Now as i was with the cabinet members on saturday looking at Hurricane Irma, and planing the recovery o harvey and looking at t forest fires in we, the Vice President and i had a conversation aboutis experience as he was standin on the steps of our nations capil and so the heroism encourageand courage of the 40 passengers and crew is special because it was their actions that protected our nation nation. I have fought in aot of battles in my life and truly, their fightas worth fighting r. M grateful fo this vice esident because he has continued the fight against evil. His fily has continued the fight against evil. His son is a first marin oa First Lieutenant in the marin corp. Trained toe a pilot. His father who fought in kor as Second Lieutenant in the United States army, earn and bronze star and i convinced from his father that the Vice President learned that not only must you fight,ut you must win. So this morning is my high honor to introduce a man that ive gotten to knows an a great man of conviction and character. Ofai. A man who loves his country loves the people that are in it and also understands that evi cannot win. Evil cannot break the spirit of our gat nation d so with that is high honor to introduce the Vice President of the United States of america mike pence. [applae] pf [applause], governor and secretary, congressmen, superintendant clark and distinguished guests, but most of all family members of the heroes who perished in th very field. Reverend itain. Gardisoly fe up and all of those who join us and look on toy. We are deeply humbled. To join you on thimost solemn of days. This flight 93 memorial annual remembrance ceremony a this common field one day. That became a field of hon forever. President trump asked me to be here to pay a debt ohonor to the 40 heros of flight 93. To all the fallen a their families. And to the generation of heroes they inspired. And to tell you, that his heart is here in pennsylvania. Especially with all of you who have lost loved ones 16 years ago. Our predent observed this da of remembrance at the pentagon memoal where momts ago he paid tribute to th4 men d women that lost their les there. All of our heartas well are th the families of the 2753 meand women, their families who st tir lives ath World Trade Center new york city. Ashe president said just moments ago, we grieve with every family of the innocent souls who were murded by terrorists that day and we will never forget what happened on september 11th, 2001. Today we pause as a nation not so much to rember tgedy as to celebrate heroism and patriotism. But permit me to say that on this day, as goy id before our hearts and prayers are with our fellow americans in florida and throughout the region who suffered lossn the wds and waters of Hurricane Irma. Athis very hour First Responders a new citizen heros are being forged among the people of florida ands the president hasaid and i s again. To those affected by Hurricane Irma were with you and well stay with you a be with you every day after this tempest passes to restore, recover an rebuild. [applause] everyone remembed where eyeron thi day 16 years ago. A mom rousing her childre to get ready for school. A farmer wrapping up the morning chores, a coal minefinishing the third shift and heading home as a new member of congress i was going through my normal workday routine at the United States capital. When i learned of the attacks in new york cy and at the ntagon pentagon. I will always remember the scenes of that day. Watching the capital complex being evacuated it was as though the buildin was literally hemorrhaging with people rning invery direction. I fou myself jt across the street from the u. S. Capital eventually on the top floor of the headquarters the Capital Police chief i was there with leaders of the house and senate, shortly after i arrived t chiefofpolice set the phone back down and inford the leaders gathered there that there was a plaine in bound to the capital and said it was 12 minutes out. In that mont the roo became silent. And as people began to make ans, i found myself looking out the window. Where just across the street was the capital dome with that majestic statue of fedom standing a top it. A dome thats a symbol of e ideals of this nation of freedom and democracy for all the world. So we waited. It it was longest 12 minutes of the my life. Buit turned to 13inutes. Then 14. And then we were informed tt the plane had gone down in a field inennsylnia. In the days ahead like every american we would learn the story of the 40 heroes of flight 93. Men and women who looked evil squarely in the eye and without rega to their personal fety theyushed forwd to save lives. Theyere mothers and fathers. Yourrothers and sisters. Sons a daughters of every walk of life and background. Marc bingham was on his way to be an usher at a College Friends wedding. Flight attendant in the wake o a career in Law Enforcement. Lauren carried the spark of life within her. An unborn child three months along and bill cashman a former Army Paratrooper had actually helped to build the World Trade Center with his own two hands and there were many others whos names we heard echo into the wind this morning. They were ordinance people but on that day they became extraordinary. We all know the story. Flight 39 took off at 8 42 departing to San Francisco and 46 minutes later terrorists seized control and at 9 425 plane diverted to washington d. C. And passengers called loved ones only to findut what was happening across the country. They learned what that the rest of america kn. The world trade nter had been struck and the pentagon had been hit only a few minutes after they were hijacked. They figuredut that the terrorists intended to u their plane for the same purpose. But as tom burnett told his wife the phone, were going to do something and they did. The men and women of flight 93 ben to join together and they devised alan in those short moment moments, they knew their objective. Ey not only plan but history records at they prayed. Together with Lisa Jefferson a phone operator on the ground below, we are told they prayed the lords prayer. And recited those ancient words though i walk through the valy of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil for thou artith me. At 9 57 after only 29 minutes todd bmer spoke those words th america and the world will never forget. Lets roll. They charged the cocpit and took hold of their fate and 6 minutes later at 10 03. Flight 93 plummeted here to the earth. The brave men and women aboard sacrificed theirives. For the country we call home. We gather here today because the n and women of flight 93 are heroes and thibeautiful memorial stand assange testament the American Peopleundying reverence for their service and sacrifice. Ch of their 40 names are etched into this marble. Theyre caed into the memory of the American People as well. Even as they are seared into the hearts of you that were left hind. The bible tells us that the lord is close to the brokenarted and to the families of the fallen here, that will be our prayer for you today. You honor us by your prenssence. As the president said this morning, y honor our heroes. You renew oucourage and you strengthen us all. Today as a nation we mourn with you. We remember with u. And we looking forward to the day when we will hear the chimes in this place and the tower of voice s voices. Will turn the whisper of the wind into a heroic ca to action and it will remember them and echo acros this field for generations toome. 93 ft at tower ofoices that will be completed by this Time Next Year will honor to heroes of flight 39 and that soaring structure will hold those 40 times each with a different musical note to symbolize th voices of the 40 men and women we remember today. The notes when played together im told will form a perfect harmony. Just as in their final moments the men and women of flight 93 worked together toefend freedom. The American People will forever be inspired by their courage and resolve. We honor them by remembering them ande honor them by ensuring that we do all in our power as a nation to prevent such evil from ever reaching our shores again. As President Trump has reminded us [applause] president has rended us thate are in the midst of aware between good and evil. The first battle in that war to place in the skies above us and end in this grassy meadow. We cannot handle this place beyond what the heroes of flight 93 have already done. Enhe plane went wn the hero as board were the rst of a new generation of heroes to rise up as citizen soldiers in whats come to be known as the global war on terror. It is remarkable to think that in the wake of their service and crifice america itself experienced a birth. A rebirth of unity and purpose and a rededication to our most seeredit idea of freedom and every day for 16 years theyre actions have inspired many more of our fellow citizens to stand upnd step forward and to follow in their heroiservice. President said today,merica cannot be intimidated and in the aftermath of septeer 11th, weve seen tens of thousands of americans step forwa to serve their communities and protect our families and defend our freedom. Theyve dawned the uniform of First Responders, firefighters, police oicers and more than 5 million americansave stepped forward to serve in the armed forced of the United States of america. Since september 11th. [applause] these men and women turned a day of tragedy into a triumph of freedom as our nation rallied together and charged forward to meet the enemy on our terms on their soil. And we will always cherish the memory of the nearly 7,000 americans who have given their lives on the fie of battle since that day 1 years ago today. Like the heroes of flight 93 well never forget their service, their sacrifice or the families they left behind but we must remind ourselves on this solid dayf remembrance the let the remains a even now the menace of global terrorism brings vionce across the wider world to places like london and paris and barcelona. Isis continues to not against america andgainst our a lies and all that cherish freedom, but under the leadership of president donald ump as our commander in chief our armed rces have isis on the r in iraq and syria and we will not rest or relent until we hunt downnd destroy them at their source. [applause] and we also do well to remember that the perpetrators of 9 11 organized and orchestrated their attacks from a safe haven of afanistan. And just a few short weeks ago presentrump renewed our commitment to see the fight in afghanistan through to an honorable and enduring outcome that will be worthy of the tremendousacrifices that have been made. [applause] some four weeks ago President Trump expressed the full commitnt to the United States to desoy terrorist organizations and the radical ideology that drives tm and so we will. America will remain engaged in afghanistan until we eliminate the terrorist let the to our homeland and our people once in for all. Weve made great gains. Our resol is stronger than ever and i promise you together as one nation and one people we will drive the cancer of terrorism from the face of the earth. [applause] we fight because our families deserve to live in safety and security. We fight because our Fallen Heroes demand justice so as long as we have strength well honor theyre neighbors and the people they died to defend. Im heren behalf of our president and all the American People to pay aebt of honor, a debt ofonor to the heros of flight 93. A debt of hor to a generation of heroethat followed their inspiring example in and out of uniform. Atome and a broad. Im also here to pay a debt of gratitude to the heroes of ight 93 on a much more personal basis. R tir actio on that day in the skies saved american lives. And as my wife karen who joins me here today knows its a debt i dont think ill ever be able to repay. Because among the many live that were saved by their lfless courage, they might ve well saved my ownife that y. 16 years ago. You know thissn our first time standing in this field here in pennsylvani not more than a year after that fateful day karennd i bug our three small children re to this Hallowed Ground on a drive back from washingt to indiana. That day we d not find this extraordinary memorial. We found only a makeshift memorial. No more than apply wood wall and wooden cross in the field. It was that day with the help of a park raer that i learn personally the sequenc of that event that day. I asked her if the u. S. Pital was in fact the target what time havehe plane have reached the capital buildg . And what she told me ill never forget. For at the time she said, standi hdreds of others i was standing near the east front of theouse of representatives. I will always believe that i and many others in our Nations Capital were ae to go home that day to hug our families because of the courage and selflessness of flight 93. So i speak on behalf of the grateful nation. Thank y for giving me the privilege of speaking on behalf of my Little Family well. En heroes fall, the nation mours mourns. For no greater love i a man an this that hes laid down his life f his friends. To the families of the fallen as President Trump promised this morning iould say now. The memory of your lov ones will never die. They will always be with us. Their heroic story in our behinds and hearts d enshrined in the memory of this country. As lon as america endures, we will tell their story and generations of americans will ever be inspired by the faithful and courageous words and deeds ofhe heroes of flight 93. May god bls our beloved fallen. May god bless and comfort the famili gathered here and all those that suffered loss on this day 16 years ago. And may god continue to bless the United States of america. [applause] [applae] leave this ceremo here and now g to new york city at the National Live 9 11 memorial where the names of the 2606 People Killed including 343 firefighters and 71 Law Enforcement officers. I stand here oud to read my fathers name and say that grandma, grandpa and the rest of the famy ss you dad. You are never far from our thoughts andoure mhero and every day i strive to make you proud. Until we meet again. [applause] [alause] pf [reading nam] ladies and gentlemen please welcome the director O Administration mr. Michael rhodes. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for joining