didn t get to weigh in. today is all about the importance of remembering, but for our children, for our grandchildren who were not alive then, specifically what happened in shanksville, the american heroism, what do you want people to know? these were people who were on a plane that found out what was happening. civilians. civilians. they were all civilians. and they were told about the other planes, they came to realize their plane was likely a weapon of mass destruction, and they got together and huddled and they actually voted, do you think we should do something, what should we do. and then todd beamer called back and was on the phone with someone from the airline company and said, keep talking to me, this is what we re thinking of doing, would you pray with me,
decisions and doing them well. i want to go to geoff bennet in shanksville. what s the situation there? reporter: the shanksville this morning and afternoon certainly belies what happened here some 20 years ago. this really is a place of peace today, as you can sort of see the sun reflect off the hemlocks behind me. we re awaiting president biden to walk through that black curtain. he s going to pay his respects at the memorial wall. there are 40 stone pillars for each of the 40 victims. the president and the first the president and the first lady are going to lay a wreath. we re getting some sort of emergency alert here in shanksville. we ll find out what that s about. the president and first lady will lay a wreath and they have been present at each of the three sites. that s one of the reasons why the president isn t delivering marks today. the priority for the white house
reading to elementary students in florida. then a third plane struck the pentagon in washington. smoke was visible from across the city. it was clear american lives had already been lost. but no one knew what was about to happen in new york. just before 10:00 the south trade center collapsed. it was hard to tell what even happened at first. jamie, i need you to stop for a second. there has just been a huge explosion. we can see billowing smoke ri rising. i tell you, i can t see that second tower. but there was a cascade of sparks and fire, and now this it looks almost like a mushroom cloud explosion. as america was glued to the horrific images playing out in new york in a lonely field near shanksville, pennsylvania, united airlines flight 93
owe to all those who fought. and to all those who fell while serving our country in afghanistan. as the years march on we must ensure that all our fellow americans know and understand what happened here on 9/11. and in manhattan. and in shanksville, pennsylvania. it is our responsibility to remember and it is our duty to defend democracy. we cannot know what the next 20 years will bring. we cannot know what new dangers they will carry. we cannot foresee what churchill once called the originality of malice. but we do know that america will always lead. and we do know the only compass
it was brutal. and the criticism was always there. but i always thought, the important thing was not to do it quickly, but to do it right. and now 20 years later, i look back and i think, we did it right. neil: you did it right indeed. governor, thank you, very very much. an interesting little footnote on the freedom tower and you ve heard a great deal about it, it is now new york s tallest building. remember the world trade center was known, both towers were the tallest before that, for a brief while the empire state building held that honor and since slipped down with the skyscrapers at midtown and freedom tower 1,776 feet tall. what does it sound like to you. 1776. all right. and i want to go to peter doocy right now at the white house. the president has already been here in downtown new york and he s going to the pentagon and also going out to shanksville, pennsylvania, but he s not