This is just a horrific scene and a horrific moment. The large plane crashed this Morning North of the somerset county airport, which is in western pennsylvania, not too terribly fall from pittsburgh. The most tragic thing that has happened to america by far. The last time i spoke to my father was Tuesday Morning before he went to work. I told him have a good day at work and i havent heard from him since. There are so many pictures. There are so many people who are still missing. Thousands of lives were suddenly, in these evil despicable acts of terror, none of us will ever forget this day. God bless the soul of those who have lost their lives this morning in New York, in washington, and near pittsburgh, in pennsylvania. Good morning, and welcome to cnns special coverage of the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks. 20 years ago today, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the worst Terrorist Attack to ever strike the united states. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, firefighters, Police Officers, heroes, every day americans, all waking Up On a Bright Breezy Beautiful Tuesday Morning, having no idea the events that were about to unfold, having no idea that what was about to happen would shape the History Of The United States and in many ways much of the world forever. Im jake tapper. Im live here at the 9 11 memorial in new York City. Along with Wolf Blitzer who is at the pentagon. And paula reid, who is in shanksville, pennsylvania. Here lie the footprints where the twin towers once stood, proudly over Lower Manhattan shall the iconic skyline of the cultural and financial capital of the world. Those towers and the surrounding area were reduced to rubble in a matter of just minutes, in a coordinated Terrorist Attack. Hijackers steered commercial airplanes into each tower, triggering a panic that defined a generation, knowing that america was under attack. Certainly was, jake, i shortly after those two planes hit the twin towers, a third, a third plane crashed right here Into The West Side of the pentagon. And only minutes later, a fourth plane, united Airlines Flight 93, crashed into the countryside in shanksville, pennsylvania. The passengers on board valiantly diverting that flight away from washington. The attacks on 9 11 led the united states and allies to invasions of first afghanistan, then iraq, and in pursuit of the Al Qaeda terrorists behind it. 20 years later, the mastermind of the plot, osama bin laden, he was killed and american forces have returned home from wars that have cost thousands more lives and trillions, trillions of dollars. But the War On Terror has certainly not ended. And new threats certainly remain. Keeping the united states under a constant state of vigilance and vulnerable. Jake . Most of us remember where we were that day. And this morning, were remembering those indelible horrible moments, and images from 20 years ago, seared into so many of our minds. Remembering the lives lost and the families and children of the victims, some of whom were not yet alive on this day, this day that Changed everything. But they grew up. Living the history behind the words, never forget. Thanks for joining us for these next few hours as we bring you live reports from cnn anchors and correspondents, many who witnessed firsthand the events of 9 11. Cnns Laura Jarrett will begin our coverage now live in Lower Manhattan where President Biden will make the first of three stops today. Reporter jake, good morning to you, this Memorial Site behind me is closed to the general public but certainly open to the families, the victims families of 9 11 who have gathered here in person today, last year, of course, because of covid, they werent able to come in person, but this year, already, ive seen them here, paying their respects, down by the reflection pool, leaving tributes, leaving tokens, flowers, sometimes, and there will be music here today, over the course of several hours. Weve already heard the bagpipes here playing just a short time ago, as people started to begin to file in here but there will also be silence. Six definitive moments in time, the times when those planes crashed into the two twin towers. The times when the towers of course fell. And of course also the attack at the pentagon and the crash of flight 93 in pennsylvania. As for who is here today, President Biden will be in attendance, along with former president s Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. We have also seen here former new York City mayor rudy giuliani, as well as the governor of New York, and new jersey. Now, President Biden not expected to speak today, but the White House did release a video last night, marking the 20th Anniversary, and some of the president s reflections, heres a little bit of what he had to say. No matter how much time has passed, these commemorations bring everything painfully back, as if you just got the news a few seconds ago. And so on this day, jill and i hold you close in our hearts, and send you our love. Unity is what makes us who we are. America at its best. To me, thats the central lesson, September 11th, is that at our most vulnerable, in the Push And Pull of all that makes us human, and in the battle for the soul of america, unity is our greatest strength. That sentiment of Strength And Unity likely will be things that we will hear throughout this historic day, jake. And shy also mention, i dont know if you can see where youre posted here, but where im standing here, you can see Security Guards lining the streets on every corner and a lot of the rooftops nearby, sort of one of the more grim reminders of the gravity of this day. Jake . Thats right. Tight security down here in Lower Manhattan, Laura Jarrett, thank you so much. Today, we try to remember not only those who were killed on 9 11, but also the heroism of that day, the first responders, the Rescue And Recovery worker, the residents who fell sick or died after 9 11 from illnesses believed to have been caused by chemicals in that pile of rubble. A new report from the Justice Department notes that more people are now believed to have died of those illnesses than those who were killed on 9 11 itself. One of the most tireless advocates thor those victims is our next guest, a Recovery Worker himself, were joined now by john, who is the founder of the Feel Good foundation. Thanks for being here. Really appreciate it. First of all, i know it is a rough week for you, 20 years later, what is top of your mind on this day . You know, today, im still trying to find the right words to what im feeling. And i mean my empathy and my humanity always is 24 7, but that word of comfort, that i look for those who lost a Loved One today, and those that ran into harms way, that never made it home to their Loved Ones, and of course, what i do all the time, for those who got sick, and many of them have died, but im not a wordsmith, so it is hard to articulate a word and brush a landscape for what this country is going for and especially what im feeling, but on my way over here to hug so many Family Members, and for people to say thank you, thats hard, because we didnt really do anything. We cleaned up Lower Manhattan to get Wall Street up and running. We gave hope to a broken city 20 years ago. And were paying for it with our lives. And the first 20 years were hard on us. The next 20 years are going to decimate the 9 11 responder community. And i pray that i our federal government evolves us with, as we evolve for the worst. People might not know your specific story, but you were one of the first responder, one of the individuals there at the recovery site, and you got grievously wounded, required many, many surgeries and you had to sue in order to get your care paid for, and in doing that, you blazed a trail for others to follow. As i just mentioned, theres a new Justice Department report indicating that more americans are reported to have died from 9 11related illnesses than were killed on 9 11. It also shows that the victim Compensation Fund has referred claims from every state, and Puerto Rico and the virgin islands, what do you make of the Shear Number of claims and illness, especially in light of all of the hard work that you and your fellow activists have had to make . We said this years ago, that this would happen, science gave us validity and makes us look like we have ph. D. S but in the early 2000s, they said we were making this up, we were crazy, it was in our Head And Science and math gave us validity, and five or six, seven years ago, i said we would outnumber those sadly on the 20year anniversary and i was right and i dont say it to be pretentious, a and it is fact, and 433 out of 435 congressional districts, this is a national issue, this is a national crisis, and 9 11 is still killing us. 9 11 is still killing. And nobody here in america owns 9 11. Everybody here is an equal shareholder this day. And i pray that everybody takes Time Out today, to remember those that we lost and those that we continue to lose. And we should note also that so many of the individuals who were there on the site, Rescue And Recovery efforts, or just living in Lower Manhattan, one of the afflictions is respiratory problems, and that has become even more acute because of the covid19 pandemic. You had covid pneumonia yourself. How are you doing . And how are other 9 11 first responders doing in the wake of this pandemic . So when i was on my way over here, and i had to wait to get on set, i wore this. For about four minutes. And that is four minutes longer than i wore a mask at ground zero. Is that right . So 90 of us who worked on the pile didnt wear a mask and those who wore respirators, those filters got clogged and jammed really quick from all of the dust. I should point out, you didnt wear a mask because no one told you. There were no osha supervisors, no health experts, nobody from the state or city, or federal government, saying, hey, these Chemicals Cant be good for you. No, i was there for five and a half days. You know, jay, we worked, there we ate there, we slept, there we cried there, we went to the bathroom there. The absorption through the nose, mouth and skin, we were there 24 7, these Men And Women, uniformed and nonuniformed, never thought while they were searching and cleaning up Lower Manhattan, that their city, state and local governments would lie to them, and now, these Men And Women are paying the ultimate price, and while they left ground zero, part of them remained there, but then they went home and died, because they were lied to, and they were never properly taken care of. Nobody ever apologized to us. We had to fight and keep going back and forth to dc, to get health care, and then compensation, to the same people that lied to us. This is hard to wrap around 20 years later. You know, today, im going to remain vigilant and pay respect to those who lost a Loved One. But tomorrow, were back to advocating. Absolutely. Ill see you tonight at the 9 11 celebration, i dont know what it is, a memorial, at 8 00 tonight, john, we thank you for your activism, you and your fellow activists. Thank you very much. President biden is currently attending a Memorial Service. We will bring that to you in just moments. We will take you live to the pentagon. Stand by. This is cnn special live coverage. Well be right back. Welcome to allstate. Where you can pay a little less and enjoy the ride a little more. Now, get new lower Auto Rates with allstate. Because better protection costs a whole lot less. Youre in good hands with allstate. Click or call for a lower Auto Rate today. We are the next. The next generation of visionaries. Rule breakers. Game changers. And world beaters. We were built to perform on the biggest stages. But we certainly arent here to do whats been done before. And neither are we. At Palo Alto networks, we are ready to secure our digital future. As companies innovate to transform, we innovate to outpace cyberthreats. So you can embrace technology with confidence and make the next day safer than the one before. Weve got next. New projects means new project managers. You need to hire. I need indeed. Indeed you do. When you sponsor a job, you immediately get your shortlist of quality candidates, whose resumes on indeed match your job criteria. Visit indeed. Com hire and get started today. Im Wolf Blitzer live here at the pentagon as we mark 20 years after the Terror Attacks of September 11th. Lets discuss whats going on. Dana bash is here, cnns chief political corner, author John King is here, the chief national correspondent, kaitlan collins, chief White House correspondent. Dana, All Of Us remember exactly where we are were 20 years ago today. You were on capitol hill. I remember vividly watching you, reporting, and i was so concerned, not just for you, for all my friends, Up On capitol hill, that there was enormous fear that a plane was headed in your direction. Thats right. And i got to the capitol, just before it turns out the plane crashed here, at the pentagon. And i was going into the building, and they quickly evacuated us, because on the west front of the capitol, you could see the smoke billowing from this building, so we evacuated, we started to send back live pictures from outside the capitol, to watch the evacuation, and then not long after, the Capitol Police told us to run for our lives, because there was a plane missing, and they didnt know where it was, and when it was coming down. It turned out, that was flight 93, and according to the 9 11 report, it was heading for the u. S. Capitol. It was a day that All Of Us will remember, especially being at what turned out to be one of the targets that didnt happen, because of the heroism of the people on Board Flight 93. Yes, really amazing people, and they deserve a lot, a lot of credit for what happened. And i remember john, i was worried about you, too, i was reporting what was going on from the cnn washington bureau, but you were at the White House, and there was enormous concern that a plane could be heading toward the White House. I was at a Meeting Downtown in our fabulous producer at the time, the technology was very different in those day, the first text that the plane hit the North Tower, were not sure if it is a big deal and then the second one and you need to get here and i came through the Northwest Gate and Secret Service says we are not sure we can let you through and i said please i have to talk to the team. And one of our photojournalists are there on the ground of the White House. Our team that day, dave, mike, our producers, megan and tim, those are the days when it was panic going on, and the calm they had to lock the live cameras on the building, armed Secret Service with automatic weapons, the uniformed Secret Service surrounding the building. Feet from the White House. They were going to die to defend the building. They thought there was a plane in the sky coming toward the White House. I went down, we have a Tracking Booth in the White House, we recorded it on the audio track, turn it on, call the bureau, keep the Speed Up in case the plane hit the building. That was the scene. An orderly evacuation for a few minutes and then the Secret Service screamed run. And they took the Vice President , we found out later out of his office, literally picked him up at his desk, two Secret Service Anythings Ru Secret Service agents, rushed him to a Cold War banker. Karen hughes, they went down. And Everyone Else was told to run and i will never forget the trail of shoes and sandals and you have worked there many years, the live locations for the cameras and to the West Wing and to the Briefing Room to the office, there was a string of shoes and sandals for people who were Sprinting Outside of the building because we didnt know where that plane was going and we went out into lafayette park, it was hard to get cell service, an at T Phone and a sprinT Phone and a Verizon Phone and you had to go back and forth because there was such a scramble. We knew the president was in florida and we knew he rushed out of the classroom and we didnt know where he was and there was a big debate to go where he was safe, to go back To Washington and we didnt know where they had taken the Vice President and lafayette park, you could see the smoke rise up and it was the smoke from here. So you could see the first minutes, Number One the panic and the fear and the questions you have as a reporter, where is the president , where is the Vice President , who is rung the show, What The Hell happened and it was just minutes before you started to get some communication from top White House aides and i remember this was the 9 00 hour, right around the 9 00 hour, when you first heard the three Words Osama Bin laden. And if i could just quickly add the shoes, we didnt have these, we didnt have smarT Phones, i didnt have a camera with me. So i couldnt capture it. But same scene, because the Capitol Police had such panic in their eyes and voices, Screaming Run for your eyes, that people same thing, Ran Kreis across the grounds of the capitol so fast, women ran out of their shoes and the cont opportunity of government was in question particularly on capitol hill. And robert c. Bird, a senator from West Virginia at the time, he had a constitutional role, President Protem fourth in line to the president presidency, and he was wandering around, and there werent plans in place to make sure that people like him had a place to go. Eventually they scrambled the Senate Leadership The House leadership, The House speaker, to secure location, but it took longer than it should have, because people just hadnt even envisioned in their wildest imagination this would have happened. And kaitlan collins, i think it is really significant that President Biden who was then a senator 20 years ago has decided to visit all three locations, New York, shanksville, and he is going to wind up here at the pentagon, to commemorate this moment. Yes, he is visiting all three, and it is interesting, who, what, and where was the president at that time, then Senator Biden actually spoke with the president that day because he was of course the chairman of the senate foreign Relations Committee on a train from wilmington To Washington, his Daily Commute and on the phone with his wife, dr. Jill biden, of course now the first lady, who told him that the second plane had hit. And he was on the train as that happened. He went to capitol hill, he was trying to get in the building, and what he recounted in his memoir, one of the first things that he wanted to do was get in there and make people think it is business as usual and he wanted people to feel that sense of calm in the wake of such dread and he said that he did speak with the president later that day, after he had given an interview to Abc News where he said yes, this is terrible, but we need to be calm and cool and collected. And he said in his book that President Bush called him and thanked him for those comments. And he urged President Bush to get back to the White House. That of course, as we know now, was an argument that the president was having with his staff and the Secret Service, then Senator Biden, urged President Bush to get back to the White House, to show the american people that sense of calm. Ill never forget when those planes hit the towers, in New York, i immediately, i started driving into the washington bureau, and ill never forget, it was a seen i dont think any of us have ever seen before, i was trying to drive in to town and Tens Of Thousands of federal workers and others were escaping, as everybody seemed to think that the Nations Capitol would be under attack. And remember, in that moment, we were just talking as journalists, i remember, as a parent, i had a son in second grade and a daughter in kindergarten and when you were talking to the National Security people, what they were saying is we dont know what is next, a second wave, a third wave . Will it be the trains . The highways . Is there something else coming . And you couldnt get cell service. And i remember in the middle of all of the reporting trying to take a few minutes, you know, for the kids out of school, what do they do with the children . Everybody. Everybody not only in this town but around the country was going through that. So there was the initial shock, the terror, the panic and then as we got through the day, we began to see, Number One, the president went from florida, to louisiana, to nebraska, To Washington. He was adamant, i want to come home. But even Donald Rumsfeld was saying were not sure it is safe mr. President so it took until the evening for the president to get back but to your point, what Senator Biden said, President Bush was saying the same thing, i need to get to the White House, and we need to show the american people, yes, this is a miserable horrible day that Changed Everything But America will be strong. None of us will ever forget. Jake, were continuing to monitor what is going on here in washington. Over at the pentagon. Were getting ready for some very moving Memorial Services. Thats right, wolf. And the morning of September 11th, as you and your panel were just discussing, and the president at the time was george w. Bush, and he at that moment was in sarasota, florida, reading to Elementary School students, shortly after, he was informed about the attacks by the chief of Staff Andy Card and then the president was rushed aboard Air Force one, which then became something of a flying oval office. As President Bush and his staff tried to decide what to do, and what was going on, on the ground below them. The man credited with keeping the president out of harms way, that day, during that time, going now to colonel mark tillman, the nations 12th president ial pilot, and was the commander of Air Force one, in 2001, to 2009. Colonel, thank you very much for honoring us by being here right now. I have to ask you, youre commanding Air Force one. Obviously a very important and serious job. At that moment, did you have any idea of how historic the attacks were, or even what was going on . No, not at all. It was a simple mission to bring the president back To Washington, after he met with the children in the Elementary School, and then shortly after, it became, it wasnt an attack, it was an accident, with the towers, that we saw on the news, and then after that, it was all based on the Count Continuity of government to keep the president safe and the continuity of government and we leaped into action to make that happen. As i recall President Bush wanted to go back to the white House And Condoleezza rice said to him in a tone she never used with President Bush, no, you cant come back, dont. And then as i recall, did he stop in louisiana and then go to nebraska . Is that what happened . After we took off out of florida the president made the decision to address the american public, safest place we could do it, we chose an Air Force base in louisiana, we landed, he addressed the american public, and then we continued to move on, and decoy, and not let anybody really know where he was at. Until everything would be safe back in washington. And we got the go ahead to go home. You said you found out about the attacks like Everyone Else by the news. Thats right. At that point, were you concerned that Air Force one might be a potential target . Definitely. The faa was advising numerous aircraft that the plane had been hijacked and we didnt exactly understand where all of the information was coming from. But as we were watching the news, Air Force one at the time didnt have satellite television. We had tune in news at the aircraft, and tune in to local News Station and a lot of the Fog Of War came into play. Were getting information as we get it. And at this point now, were trying to figure out exactly where were going to take him, how were going to take him and where we are going to move him and how to move him and where he wants to go. And reports say you took off from Sarasota Florida that morning like a rocket. Tell us more about that. Just prior to moving out of the tarmac, we were advised there was a gentleman at The End of the runway, they assumed somebody came up at the last second is what we were told, looked like he had a long gun, so the plan was instead of taxiing by him, just to turn around and go the other direction, on the runway. And the plan was to take off as steep as i could so there would be no potential for anybody to shoot at Air Force one as they left. So literally pulled the yoke back on the lap, climbed out fairly steep and turned out over the gulf of mexico. And obviously, there was no individual with a long gun at all. Well, once again, Fog Of War, a lot of people giving inputs, things happening and it actually did not. A lot of jittery people understandably that day. So it was 20 years ago today. How has 9 11 Changed your life . You were commander of Air Force one for the entire bush presidency. What are you doing now . How has your life been altered . So presently im a corporate pilot. And when i retire from the military, i flew for different corporations. But 9 11 for me was, it was an incredible event to see how the government came together, how the government reacted to the situation, and then as we learn more about it, we Changed a lot of things within the government, and within Air Force one, to protect and defend, and make sure were ready for the next issue that occurs for the continuity of government. After all of that im a positive thinker here, america came together, everywhere we went, thousands of americans were yelling and screaming, usa, usa, you know, it didnt matter what their backgrounds were, they were so proud to come together, and be americans, and defend the united states of america. So you know, thats the good point of all of this. And you see it today, with everybody chanting usa, and coming together as americans. All right, colonel tillman, thank you so much. Thanks for being here today. We appreciate it. Thanks for your service as well. In moments President Biden is going to attend a 9 11 Memorial Service here in Lower Manhattan. We will of course bring that to you live, as america remembers, well be right back. Thanks for coming. Now when it comes to a financial plan this broker is your man. Lets open your binders to page 188. Uh carl, are there different Planning Options in here . Options . Plans we can build on our own, or with help from a financial consultant . Like schwab does. Uhhh. Could we adjust our plan. Yeah, like if we buy a new house . Mmmm. And our son just started working. Oh do you offer a complimentary Retirement Plan for him . As in free . Just like schwab. Schwab look forward to planning with schwab. Trelegy for copd. Birds flyin high you know how i feel breeze drifting on by you know how i feel [man coughing] its a new dawn, its a new day. No matter how you got copd its time to make a stand. And im feelin good start a new day with trelegy. No oncedaily Copd Medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. With three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy helps people breathe easier and improves lung function. It also helps prevent future flareups. Trelegy wont replace a Rescue Inhaler for sudden breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have a Heart Condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Do not take trelegy more than prescribed. Trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. Call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, Mouth Or Tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or Eye Pain occur. Its time to start a new day. Ask your doctor about oncedaily trelegy. And save at trelegy. Com. In business, its never just another day. Its the big sale, or the big presentation. The day where everything goes right. Or the one where nothing does. With Comcast Business you get the network that can deliver Gig Speeds to the most businesses and advanced cybersecurity to protect every device on it all backed by a dedicated team, 24 7. Every day in business is a big day. Well keep you ready for whats next. Comcast business powering possibilities. Any moment, we expect President Biden to walk out to attend the 9 11 Memorial Service here in Lower Manhattan. Of course, when that occurs, well bring it to you live. But for now, i want to bring you garrett craft, a senior Contributor And Author of a remarkable book, there you can see President Biden on the right side of the screen surrounded by Secret Service. He is in Lower Manhattan. He can walking to the 9 11 memorial. You can see him kind of in the middle of the screen there. There he is. Author of a remarkable book called the only plane in the sky which is an oral history that day, the horrible day, also with us julia, cnn national Security Analyst and the former Assistant Secretary of the department of Homeland Security, so both of you, this has been a big part of your lives this day, obviously everybody watching has been touched by this, but what are you thinking about today, julia . I think, honestly, i think im surprised how much im still feeling, 20 years later, this is my job, i do this, i study it, i read it, and were you doing Homeland Security before 9 11 . I was on the national commission on terrorism, so it wasnt like the threat was a surprise to me. I had been in counterterrorism before 2001, and so i think, you know, and being here, i think its important to reflect on the emotion and the sense of loss, but also the sense of gratitude for all of the Police Officers and first responders standing around here. But then you also reflect on what went wrong, and you think about what we were then, september 10th, slerch, and then what was unleashed in response to 9 11 and there are successes, no major attacks of its kind since 9 11, we cannot forget that. That is a successful but the failures and the global War On Terrorism, from iraq, to abu Ghraig And Guantanamo bay, and things that make us less proud to be americans and a lot of emotions for people in the field. Were you in washington, d. C. . I was on a train with my fiveweekold heading to new York City. Before i phoned and was getting media calls, i was in counterterrorism and i remember H Hearing that the towers fell, and you cant conceive of it if you dont see pictures, what does it mean that the towers fell and i got off the train and i basically started yelling people to get off the train because it is still going into new York City and i remember seeing a person saying the towers fell, and thinking thats how the towers fell, right . You evacuated and then i had finally moved you were coming from boston . With the first visit to New York with a baby and now she is in college. Thats where we are. And garrett, you obviously, you wrote tremarkable book, and what do you think about it, so many Policy Makers and survivors, and what you are thinking about . The 20th Anniversary is a moment when we are really beginning to see this slip from memory into history. We now talk to people like colonel tillman, the people who were in government at that time, and you know, this is, these are historical figures. Theres an entire generation now in america that has grown up in the world created by 9 11, with no memory of 9 11 itself a quarter of america is today too young to remember this attack. And yet our country, our politics, our world is so deeply defined by it. And as we watch the americans pull out of afghanistan this summer, the 13 americans killed in kabul, only two of them were old enough to be out of diapers on the morning of 9 11. Thats remarkable. Yes, my children were not alive on 9 11. They have grown up in this world defined by it. In so many ways. How . Explain to us. Because a quarter of our audience maybe doesnt even know, how has the world Changed. . So people of our age grew up and were marked by The End of the Cold War. And we were Reading Books called The End of history, we won, right . I mean that was the sense of american success, and the sense that we were different, and that the image of america for World History forever. Democratic norms. There is only one alternative. And we won. And our kids are not being raised in that world. Its not just the afghanistan war, the iraq war, the financial disaster and now the pandemic. This notion of american exceptionalism i think is gone and the post9 11 world created in response, in response to our reaction, to 9 11 made us mort until many ways. I mean it sort of brought us d downtoearth. And i think we are struggling and that generation is struggling to figure out what do americans mean in the world moving forward. Garrett, you said sometimes we dont remember enough of the lessons of that day. What are he would not remembering . Yes, so were about to mark now what to me is the most fascinating moments of 9 11 which are the 17 minutes between the first crash and the second crash. 8 46 to 9 03. And you go back and look at what happened in those 17 minutes, in New York, in washington, with the president in sarasota, florida, you see a country that is far more innocent than anything that we could imagine today. We didnt know what was happening. We didnt know what was happening. Everyone from new York Commuters to the president of the united states, sees that first crash and has the same thoughts. The pilot had a heart attack. The plane had a mechanical problem. Air Traffic Control is having a really bad day. And thats true, in the book i tell the story of Peter Johansson one of the new York Waterways ferry captains seeing the first crash coming across new York Harbor and pulls into Wall Street terminal a few blocks away here, every single passenger on the boat gets off and walks into Lower Manhattan, through the debris, falling down, from the North Tower. There was not a single person on that boat who says, this kind of seems like it is going to be a weird day, im going to turn around and go home. Very insightful. Top to bottom that day. Lets listen in as President Biden attends this memorial. You see also former president s Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Lets listen in. O, say can you see by the dawns early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight over the ramparts we watched were to gallantly streaming and the Rockets Red Glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o say does that starspangled Banner Yet Wave over the land of the free and the Home Of The Brave [ Bell Ringing ]. A Moment Of Silence. A Moment Of Silence, the Moment Of Silence marks the very moment 20 years ago that american Airlines Flight 11 flew into the North Tower of the world trade center. My name is mike lowe, and my daughter Sara Elizabeth Lowe was a Flight Attendant on that plane. These 20 years have felt like both a long time and a short time, and as we recite the names of those we lost, my memory goes back to that terrible day when it felt like an evil specter had descended on our world, and it was also a time when many people acted Above And Beyond the ordinary. Beginning with the actions of flight crews, like sara, and the passengers on the four flights, the individuals in the towers, the professionals of the fire and police, and later the volunteers who helped work on the pile since then, to recover our Loved Ones remains, they helped pull us through the darkest days of our lives. In the last 20 years, my family and i have at times known unbearable Sorrow And Disbelief about the lives that would never be. Foryears, we have, we have filled with speaking out on my Daughters Behalf and calling on many more precautions and also for the history to be remembered, not as numbers, dates, but the faces of ordinary people, people who looked a lot like sara. At the first memorial ceremony, my wife bobby and i stood here with thousands of Family Members right in the midst of a gray and black world of destroyed buildings. Today, this is a quiet place of memory, the gleaming 9 11 museum, holds a sacred repository for our Loved Ones remains and it is filled with bright stories of all of the sons and daughters, sibling, husbands and wichbs and grandparents and friends. As we carry these 20 years forward, i find a continuing appreciation for all of those who rose to be more than ordinary people. And a Fathers Pride in his daughters Selfless Act in the last moments of her life, acting with calm to help those in the air and those on the ground. A legacy from sara that burns like an eterna l flame. Gordon Mccannell Aamoth Jr. Edelmiro abad. Maria rose abad. Andrew anthony abate. Vincent abate. Laurence abel. William f. Abramsome. Richard anthony aceto. Alicia acevedo carranza. Hinerich ackerman. Paul andrew acquaviva. Gordon mccannel Aamoth Jr. Edelmiro Abad Maria rose abad Andrew Anthony abate Vincent Abate Laurence Abel Cantor Fitzgerald William F. Abrahamson Richard Anthony Aceto Alicia Acevedo Carranza heinrich b. Ackermann Paul Andrew Acquaviva donald l. Adams Patrick Adams Shannon Lewis adams Stephen Adams Ignatius Adanga Christy A. Addamo terence e. Adderley jr. Sophia b. Addo Lee Adler Daniel Thomas Afflitto Emmanuel Afuakwah Alok Agarwal Mukul Agarwala Joseph Agnello David Agnes Joao A. D. Aguiar jr. Lt. Brian g. Ahearn jeremiah j. Ahern Joanne Ahladiotis Shabbir ahmed Terrance Andre Aiken Godwin Ajala Gertrude M. Alagero Andrew Alameno Margaret Ann Jezycki Alario Gary Albero Jon L. Albert Peter Craig Alderman Jacquelyn Delaine Aldridge Grace Alegrecua and my father, edward joseph, dad, we miss you every day, our greatest gifts are your beautiful grandchildren, they embody your kind spirit, warm heart, loving nature, and zest for life. They are daily reminder that your legacy lives on. We love you, dad. David d. Alger Ernest Alikakos Edward L. Allegretto Eric Allen Joseph Ryan Allen Richard Dennis Allen Richard L. Allen. Christopher Edward Allingham Anna allenson. Janet m. Alonso Anthony Alvarado Antonio Javier Alvarez victoria alvarez. Telmo Alvear Cesar A. Alviar Tariq Amanullah Angelo Amaranto james m. Amato. Joseph Amatuccio Paul W. Ambrose. Christopher Charles Amoroso Craig Scott amunson. Kazuhiro Anai Calixto Anaya Jr. Joseph p. Anchundia. Kermit Charles Anderson Yvette Anderson John Andreacchio Michael Rourke andrews Jean A. Andrucki Siewnya Ang Joseph Angelini Jr. Joseph Angelini Sr. David lawrence angel. Mary lynn edwards angel. Laura Angilletta Doreen J. Angrisani lorraine d. Antigua sema david allaima. Rond philip kilopo. And my husband, Joseph Rena Jr. And my uncle james francis quinn. Joe, we love and miss you more than you could ever imagine. Our son is a Spitting Image of you. He lights up my world every day. I see you in everything that he does and i know you see us because i see you in him. Continue to watch over us and your family. 20 years feels like an eternity, but yet it still feels like yesterday. Until we meet again, my love. Rest in peace. Peter Paul Apollo Faustino Apostol Jr. Frank Thomas Aquilino Patrick Michael Aranyos David Gregory Arce Michael G. Arczynski Louis Arena Barbara jean alastaga. Adam Arias Michael J. Armstrong Jack Charles Aron Joshua Aron Richard Avery Aronow Myla Joy arrison. Japhet j. Aryee paul francis asario. Michael a. Asciak Michael Edward Asher Janice Ashley thomas j. Ashton monroe atlas. Manuel o. Asitimbay lt. Gregg Arthur Atlas Debbie S. Attlasbellows Gerald Atwood Arlene t. Babakiti s Eustace Bacchus John James Badagliacca Jane Ellen Baeszler Robert J. Baierwalter andrew j. Bailey brett t. Bailey and my uncle firefighter michael, i know every day youre there watching over us and even though i never met you in person, i still miss you a lot. Mom always tells me all of crazy fun things you did, and im sure if you were there, we would lead you here. And thanks for being the best Guardian Angel and for sending security, we know you can see us, mom says i have your loveable charm and fearlessness. Not only do i have my charm but im honored to have your name as my middle name. You and Papa And Dad have inspired me to follow in your footsteps and become a firefighter too. We hope you continue to watch over us and keep us healthy and safe. We love sow much, chris. And my sister, cecilia elizabeth blossom, deer cc, it has been 20 years significant since you left us. I remember this day as if it was yesterday. You are greatly missed by our mother, your sisters, your nieces, your nephews. It was such a sad day on September 11th. I remember you working at the pentagon, and when you told us that the airplane had attacked the pentagon, we couldnt believe it. From the building where i work at epa, i could see the smoke. And i couldnt believe that, that youre gone. Just want to say i love you, and we miss you thank you so much. Tatyana Bakalinskaya Michael S. Baksh Julio Minto Balanca Sharon Balkcom Michael Andrew Bane Kathy Bantis Gerard Jean Baptiste Walter Baran Gerard A. Barbara Paul V. Barbaro james w. Barbella victor Daniel Barbosa Colleen Ann Barkow David Michael Barkway Matthew Barnes melissa rose barnes. Sheila Patricia Barnes Evan J. Baron Renee Barrettarjune arthur t. Barry diane g. Barry Maurice Vincent Barry Scott D. Bart carlton w. Bartels Guy Barzvi Inna Basina Alysia Basmajian kenneth william basnicki