Today is marking a difficult milestone that changed our country and the world. Tributes will be under way at all three sites where nearly 3,000 americans lost their lives. Of course, President Biden will visit them right here in new York City where the first two planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. We a Commemoration Ceremony is set to begin around 8 40 a. M. Eastern. The obamas and the clintons, they will also be attendance. Former President Trump says he will visit Ground Zero, too. Though it is unclear if he will be at the actual ceremony. Of course, later this morning, a ceremony at the pittsburgh. The site of the second Terrorist Attacks a Big American Flag, just moments from now, unfurling over the side of the building as the Sun Rises in our nations capitol. We will take you there live as it happens. Well take you to shanksville, pennsylvania, where the fourth plane, United Flight 93 crashed before reaching washington, d. C. , thanks to a group of Courageous Passengers and crew Members who thwarted the terrorists intend target, believed to be the capitol building. Former President Bush will deliver his remarks there. The Terrorist Attacks ignited the longest war, officially declaredt over two weeks ago, when the last of the u. S. Service Members withdrew. With the taliban at the helm, the wheel of the history has turned full circle, the u. S. Entering a new chapter in its fight against terror in a more limited capacity. So we have a very busy morning ahead. A very busy next three hours. We will be brigg you live reporting right here in Lower Manhattan as well as in the u. S. And across the world as well as powerful stories hailed Reflection And Heroism. We begin, though, with Nbc News Rehema Ellis. She wass there i should point t some 20 years ago covering the Terrorist Attacks and we are at Thean Pentagon ahead of the ceremony in just a couple of hours. Lets start with rehe ma. The president is scheduled to arrive within a couple hours. Walk us through what to expect, rehema. Good morning, what you can expect is that 8 30 this morning, there will be a Len E Rendition of the National Anthem. Then at 8 46, there will be a citywide Moment Of Silence to mark the first moments when the planes struck the tower. At 9 03, another Moment Of Silence to mark that moment when the second plane struck the South Tower. There will also be the additional reading of names of nearly 23,000 people that died 20di years ago today. Susan boyd was at that famous restaurant called the windows of the world. Shere is a big sister of gordona doctor. He ran to the Ground Zero on that day. He got there as the buildings were collapsing and just narrowly survived, escaping with his own life. He says he still has nightmares. 20 years later, can i still hear it, smell it, taste it, and see it as if it just happened yesterdayt its nothing that i will ever forget. The only time when i forget is when i depart this Motor Coil and maybe god in his time will take me southeastern than later. I dont know. But i do know god trusts me a lot. Hes put me through a lot and i trust god. Reporter he is considered The One And Only triple survivor or triple he is called. Thats because he is a Family Member. He is a survivor and he was also a first responder that day. One of the things that should be remembered about whats happening here, too, alex. Is that 20 years later there continue to be casualties from what happened here on 9 11. There are people continuing to be sick and dieing from 9 11related illnesses. Back to you. Yeah. We want to go to you next, a memorial will be held at the pentagon honoring the lives lost. What do we expect to see there . Well, earlier this morning, the unfurled the American Flag at sun size. And alt 9 00 a. M. The ceremony will start with the chairman of the general chiefs, general Milley Andth Secretary of Defen Lloyd Austin making remarks at a sombers ceremony. There will be a Moment Of Silence at 9 27 a. M. When the flight 27 struck the pentagon, a traumatic moment for everyone working there at the time. If youor speak to people who we working at the pentagon then, they were watching television, watching the news and the events unfolding in new york. And then that american airliner that was setting off from Dallas Airport in washington from Los Angeles struck the pentagon 184 people killed. There will be a ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial for 9 11. There are markers for each of the ervictims, so its a somber day here. So lets go Back To You, rehema, because 20 years ago today you came down to Lower Manhattan. You were set to report on what happened when that first Plane Crashed at the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I was there, hetoo. A little vignette, i remember walking into the Nbc News Satellite truck seeing you there, the great Rehema Ellis. I know the Two Of Us responded over talking about our kids, it was a sense of being able to have something of Normalcy And Love and goodness amidst all thisst tragedy. Beyond that, though, that sticks out to me. What sticks out with you today . I have to sigh because of such tremendous sadness. I feel such heaviness today. One of the things that i am reminded of is just how personal this attack was for all of those people who died and All Of Us who were here in new york and around the country. This attack fell very personal. Ive covered so many stories in places around the world, tragedies. But this one was just down the street from where i lived and forro those that live in this neighborhood, it was right in their neighborhood. This was at home and that day there was a silence, a deadly silence that came over this area. So coming down here today, i am reminded of that and i think about all of those people, all of those people who lost their lives and all the memories that their children, their wifes, their husbands, their aunts, uncles and nieces never had to share with them. I am sad, but i am also very happy that we are here and we are remembering them, because a Vow Wasar made that day to neve forget. Alex. It, we will never forget, Rehema Ellis, thank you so much for that, thank you both for starting off our Special Coverage. So the sights and sounds of that day, they are hard to forget, today, frankly, hard to look at. We want to take you back, though, for a Minutebyminute Account of how it all unfolded. Some of these images may be disturbing and tough to watch. Ou here is Nbc News senior correspondent tom yannizy. Ere is Nbc News senior correspondent tom yannizy. Coming up, we have a breaking News Story to tell you about. Apparently a plane has crashed into the new york World Trade Center. An image we will never forget, the World Trade Center On Fire, thick black smoke, the beginning of a Terrorist Attack that would change our country and this world. On 9 11, it started at 5 45 a. M. Hijackers clear security at portland international Jet Port in maine connecting through boston. By 8 00 a. M. , they along with three other hijackers are on board american Airlines Flight 11 departing from logan international. Then at 8 19 a. M. , Betty Ong Contacts Ground personnel. D per. At 8 46 a. M. , flight 911 crashes into the World Trade Center. That Crash Killing everyone on board, severing emergency stairwells, Trapping Hundreds of people on the top floors of the tower. By this point, united Airlines Flight 175 also originating from boston had been hijacked. At 9 03 a. M. With 65 people on board, flight 175 hits the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Ive never seen anything like it. Shortly after that second crash, president george w. Bush is informed that america is under attack. At 9 37 a. M. , american Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the pentagon. We are looking at live pictures of the pentagon where there is billowing smoke. Reporter the Crash Killing 58 passengers, including the hijackers, along with six crew Members. 125 military and civilian personnel would also die in the crash and the fire that followed. Back in new york at 9 59 a. M. After burning for nearly an hour, the South Tower collapses. Hundreds of first responders and civilians are killed inside the building and in the surrounding area. Approximately 10 03 a. M. United flight 93 crashes into a field near shanksville, pennsylvania, nine minutes earlier, a passenger received this voicemail from his mother. Mark, this is your mom the news is that its been hijacked by terrorists, if you possibly can, try to overpower these guys if you can, Cause Theyll probably use the plane as a target. Mark, the other passengers and the crew delivered on marks mothers request, taking on the hijackers, who crashed the plane roughly 20 minutes shy of their target in washington. Likely the u. S. Capitol. 10 28 a. M. After burning for 102 minutes, the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapses. 8 30 p. M. From the oval office, President Bush addresses the nation. The search is under way for those who are behind these evil acts. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. Reporter 2,977 people were killed in the attacks on September 11th. Launching the u. S. Into two wars and still 20 years later the most horrific act of terror in american history. Our thanks to tom there for the tiktok events that took place there. Alex, lindsay, i couldnt help but note, the morning after, the headlines on the new york times, it kept getting worse. It did from one thing to the next, this has been my first time even as a new yorker getting to see the Reflecting Pool just yesterday and just absolute chills. I can just imagine the same for you all. Yeah. Very, very much so. Yeah. The people at the memorial, they leave roses next to names and if you are ever down there to reflect at Ground Zero, you wonder why there are roses. They do that on the birthdays of the victims. Thats wonderful. All right. We do have a lot to get to this morning, including a look back on the tragic events of 20 years ago, including live ceremonies with president s past and present. But first, the Moment George w. Bush learned about the attacks on the World Trade Center, caught on camera. An image and one of many that we will never forget. The man that broke the news to the president as he read to a classroom of second graders. Later in the hour, how far would you go to ensure the Members at fdny lost their lives that day are never forgotten. We caught up with remarkable people making their own Grilling Journey to do just that. And as we go to break, were going to show you the reflecting poles behind set, they were created in the foot prints of the two towers, writing a place for us never to forget. 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. We are back, everybody, with Special Coverage marking 20 years since the September 11th attacks. And our next guest here with alex and i famously broke the news to president george w. Bush whispering into his ear, this indelible image america is under attack while they were visiting a florida elementary school. Joining us, what a day, what a mem ripping take us through that when you were whispering that into the president s ear. Did he know Osama Bin Laden was behind this at the time . Has he talked about that with you . Well, first of all, literally on this day 20 years ago, we awoke to a perfect day and it was going to be an easy day. The president , i told the president , you are going off for a run, when you get back, will you go to the school. Its your favorite topic, leaving no child behind in education. Its going to be an easy day. As we were loading into limousines to take us over to the school. Two people asked a question, kind of did anybody hear about a Plane Crash in new York City . Thats how it started. I didnt hear anyone answer that question. We arrived at the school. The president went to a secure phone and called back to condoleeza rice. I didnt hear that conversation. I went into the classroom to see if it was ready for the president. I saw the second graders in their best behaviors, looking great, the teacher mrs. Daniels looking april and procedure. It was wonderful. I saw the press pool, they were arguing around ari fleischer. That was difficult. I walked into the holding room. I was standing at the door with the president and the principal of the school, baby louder, Navy Captain in charge of the Situation Room and acting national Security Adviser of the trip came town the president and said it appears a small twij of a Plane Crash into the World Trade Center in new York City. Thats what he knew when the principal opened the door to the classroom and they walked into the classroom. Then the Doors Shurkts Captain louder came up and said it looks like a twin Engine Flight and my mind went to the fear of the passengers must have known they werent gaining altitude, that was a nanosecond. Then captain louder came up and said, oh my god, another plane. I said i have to tell the president. I assume there was a full microphone that can pick up everything. I knew he was in front of second graders and the press pool. So i chose my words carefully, passed on two facts and made one Editorial Comment. The two facts were a second Plane Hit the second tower. The Editorial Comment was america is under attack. I knew it wasnt an accident and i knew it wasnt a coincidence. So that was what i told him. I was impressed with how he reacted. He did nothing to demonstrate fear to those second graders. That said, andy, there the a student from that classroom who has gone on to west point, has gone on to serve in the army, who was a part of a webinar on 9 11. He talks about that moment. The way he picked up on this. The take a listen to what he said. All of a sudden President Bush was leaving and i couldnt conceptualize all the things that were happening that day. As he began to explain what had happened, it was quiet and i remember just feeling dark and looking to my teachers for support im like okay what is going on . Its gotten really quiet. Everyone was happy, the mood changed a lot. Looking at their faces just saw confusion and fear. And later i began to find out that as i watched tv and i watched the towers on cnn actually that they were smoking and people were daying. It is absolutely remarkable that recounting. A child picking up on that. I talked to some of the students that were there now 25 years old or 24yearsold and its amazing to me the very reactions they have today to that. But i dont think the president did not generate fear. The terrorists generated fear. Yes. Terrorists thrive by introducing fear and thats what they did on 9 11. They have been in fear. And they wanted it to be contagious. I dont think the president did anything to be contagious with fear. He looked in that moment. He looked like he was digesting what i had said to him. I kind of believed, that was the day he realized the real job of a president. Its your oath of office, keep your oath. Its not about your agenda, its the oath you take to protect and defend america and the constitution. So i think thats what he was doing and he was also filled with resolve when he came into the holding room. He knew exactly what he needed to do and he started to do it. I was very impressed with the level of im going to say the rational thinking he brought to the challenge. He was not making emotional decisions, but he knew emotions were going to be a giant Roller Coaster Ride for everybody in the world. And, indeed, it still is 20 years later. Take me back to the moments after when you whisked the president off to Air Force one and there is no commercial jets flying in the airspace at that point. You dont know when or where you will land . In there the first thing, were in the Limousine Driving to Air Force one. Im sitting beside the president. The president is on his cell phone. Im on my cell phone. Im calming back to the White House. Hes trying to reach Secretary Rumsfeld at the defense department. Hes frustrated he couldnt get through to the defense department. The pentagon had just been hit. Two planes hit new york. The Plane Hits the pentagon as we arrive to Air Force one. We get on the plane and the president wants to go back to washington, d. C. He did something that nobody asked him to do, which i thought was very smart. He said, get President Putin on the phone, make sure he doesnt think we are going to war with russia. He should know whats going on. He was cool, calm, collected. He was eager to get back to washington, d. C. , i kept saying when its right, well get there. I know well get there. He made sure he had the Communication Tools to get the job done. I was impressed how he reacted. There were great trepidation. Were there other attacks coming, flight 93, you know what happened to that. The first arrows on the War On Terror the civilians on flight 93 every Won U one would have been won Pa Medal of honor. Andy card, its an honor to have you recollecting all this, such incredible memories you are sharing with our viewers. Thank you so much and your service to the president during this difficult time. Thank you for you to help the younger generation that didnt know. I agree, thank you, andy. You heard Andy Card right there mentioning one of the first Phone Calls was to vladimir putin. This really was an international event that took place. In fact, just within the last hour or so, we got a message from Queen Elizabeth on this anniversary, she says my visit to the World Trade Center is held fast in my memory. It remind me as we honor those from many nations, fates and background who lost their lives, we pay tribute for the Determination And Resilience of communities that work together to rebuild. Word from Queen Elizabeth in the last hour releasing a statement from buckingham palace. When we come back, we go to the the cia got their first awareness of Osama Bin Laden. A Fire Leiutenant in lower Manhattan And Donald mcintyre, a Police Officer with the port authority. He was known for his love of new York City skyscrapers. He called the World Trade Center an engineering marvel. Just think what he would think of the Freedom Tower right now . He would often take Family Par Traits with the citys buildings for the family christmas cards, his daughter says he called her his sunshine and Donald Mcintyre was the father of three kids, his youngest daughter was born three months into the attacks. He was known for being mr. Fixit. He was working outside the towers before they fell. But he and four others ran back inside the south to you tore search for a Family Member missing inside. Missing inside 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. Hundreds of afghans are now seeking refuge in pakistan now afghanistan is once again under taliban rule. In fact, lines of cars and people ared intoing the borders, many are women and girls during harsh treatment. Nbc News Mollie Hunter is in peshawar, afghanistan, miles from the afghan border. Good morning to you. How is pakistan handling this new influx of refugees . Reporter hey, guys, good morning, thats right. There are certainly a lot of people crowding on the afghan side of the border. We went to the border. They are strict who they are letting in. They have two big fears, one they will get an influx of refugees, they are hosting 4 Million from the last conflict. The second is Extremists World wide and here at home, i sat down with political analyst, take a quick listen. With the popular imagination, the idea of the taliban being able to take on the u. S. And winning is the single biggest booth to Extremist Propaganda and recruitment in history. I think the first taliban takeover, they beat other afghans, the societies werent there. Then they took down this says they took down upgle sam. There is a tendency for other reasons, within Elite Pakistanis who see the weigh that the u. S. Has talked to them for the last 20 years, there is this sense of come up and validation, that will show them. Reporter now he went on to tell me that kind of thinking is pretty dangerous. Pakistan over the last 20 years has been accused by its allies of harboring, of strengthening the afghans on american soil. He says really for the u. S. Pakistani relationship, this could be a turning point. He really suggests the u. S. Start to approach pakistan as an equal partner going forward. Ill send it Back To You guys. All right. Mollie hunter, thank you for that reporting. Still to come, the Security Threat America faced on September 11th has evolved over the past two decades. So has our response. How weve adapted to a Shifting Danger in this country. And what Intelligence Agencies are doing about it. As we go to break a live look at the 9 11 memorial at Ground Zero. We are looking at the Twin Towers, became this memorial, the reflection ponds planned in the immediate after math of the attacks. Well be right back shortly with our Special Coverage. Welcome back, everyone, thank you for joining us as we mark 20 years since the attacks that changed america and the world. In fact, they made us all take a much closer look at our own security. It also changed countless Safety Measures in american life. Now, 20 years later, the country is facing new kind of threats and come up with new responses to match. Heres Nbc News Justice Correspondent pete williams. Reporter on board a delta flight, an urgent plea from the pilot. Wed like all males to come forward. Reporter an Atlanta Businessman was quick to respond. I immediately jumped, grabbed his shoulders, pulled his hoodie over his head, pulled him to the ground. Reporter since 9 11, people take more responsibility for their security. Flight 93 was diverted with a terrorist at the controls. Passengers stormed the Cockpit Led by todd beamers cry, lets rom. The Plane Crashed in pennsylvania 20 minutes flying time from washington, the intended target. I think it made everybody aware that defense of the country is not just for those in uniform, everybody has to play a role in securing our nation. Reporter the nation responded by defending against organized Terrorist Attacks, with screening common place at airports and public events that draw big crowds. But the government is now struggling to counter new threats, example, more than a decade after drones went main stream with over A Million now in the u. S. , the federal government is still struggling with how to counter dangerous ones. Terrorists overseas have used them to drop bombs. Hobbyist drones were used three years ago in an attempt to kill the president of venezuela. But congress only recently gave federal agencies the legal authority they need to develop systems for Tracking Drones and bringing them down as the nation adapts to new threats 20 years after 9 11. All right. People, thank you so much for that. Okay. Well, joining me right now is peter newman, a director at the dependent of War Studies in london. He served as the Founding Director of the international center for the study of radicalization. Peter, thank you so much for being here. So the terrorists that carried out the attacks were essentially hiding in plain sight. Do you think that were doing a better job identifying threats right now . I think so i think that before 9 11, Airport Security was not really good and the whole of society was not aware of the dangers of the domestic trichls and then obviously a large amount of money has been invested. Some say its been done excessively. I think security in a lot of places have improved. We are much more alert to threats and the whole security structure. The infrastructure of government in the united states is much more robust. Something like 9 11 wouldnt happen today i dont think. Peter, what is your sense of where the Terrorism Threat is at right now some 20 years after 9 11 . So, i think globally speaking, were seeing against Western Nation like britain, like germany, like the united states, we have two kind of fronts. We continue to have threats from issamism, jihadism, people like the 9 11 attackers who are still around and the islamic state in 2017 but many of the borders have simply with other countries. So that comes back any time. At the same time domestic in a lot of our countries, in britain as much as the united states, we do have a threat from the far right. It is something that is the result of polarization of society and some of the really dangerous problematic discourses that we have seen over the past few years and that is something that we have to learn to pay attention to as much as to the naubl [ indiscernable ]. Im curious about that, peter, im curious what you find to be the most dangerous threat to america right now. Is it isis . Sit Al Qaeda . Is it the far right, right here . My personal opinion is that as far as Western Nation is concerned, these the big structural important threats that will keep us pre occupied probably for a generation and at various points, depending also on events in the middle east, the islamists will be more important than the far right and at some points the far right more important than the islamists. The important thing for government is not to follow events, driven by events. Oh, we had an islamic attack, therefore all the money goes into this, or there was a far right attack, all the money goes there. Sustain investment, sustain interest, attention, career life, both these threats will be there for a very long time. I want to get your quick take on something that leon panetta, the former secretary said to Andrea Mitchell my colleague. Heres a listen. The events of the last few days indicate that we are dealing very much with the same old taliban. What does that do to the president s rational for withdrawing the u. S. Troops . The in addition of trying to prevent afghanistan from becoming a Safe Haven for terrorism has failed. So there you have it right now. Of course, she talking about the taliban taking control of afghanistan. Give me a sense of how worried are you right now . I am [ inaudible ]. Okay. I think we did lose peter neuman. Interesting, to get his take, he has written extensively about the far right. He says it is definitely one of the most threatening issues out there some 20 years after 9 11. Alex. Yes, certainly continues to be. I am sorry about losing that connection. But thank you so much for that and kendis as well. Coming up, 20 yeerth, Don Marshall recorded his version of history especially drove like a Bat Out Of Hell to get out of the pentagon, to the Day Care, to get the kid out. And i pulled over and i ran down there and i found the kid. That was the happiest moment of my life and you know right there, i knew shelley would have been there if she could have. Just heart breaking. We will check in with John Two decades later. He will be with us live. Our Special Coverage marking 20 years since the September 11th attacks continues after the break. People taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. Dont take ingrezza if youre allergic to any of its ingredients. Ingrezza may cause serious Side Effects, including sleepiness. Dont drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ingrezza affects you. Other serious Side Effects include potential Heart Rhythm problems and abnormal movements. Shift the focus more on you. Ask your doctor about ingrezza. Its simple. One pill, oncedaily. 1 prescribed for td. Learn how you could pay as little as 0 at ingrezza. Com. I didnt recognize anybody, everybody was so bundled coming out. I felt i would know when i was near her. I just kept going, kept looking. I remember talking just to the breeze and telling shelley, you know, if thats you, you go back and you wait because were coming to get you. Well, that was john marshall, a man who lost his wife shelley when american Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the pentagon on the morning of 9 11, killing 181 people. It 457d 21 years ago today. Marshall raced to the pentagon after the Terrorist Attack to try to find his wife. He tried to help with Rescue Efforts and get people on to stretchers. It was just too dangerous to go inside. So eventually he was faced with a choice of going home to his kids who were scared, wondering what was going on or pushing forward for the search for his wife, possibly putting himself in danger. At the time of the attack, marshalls kids were in Day Care at the pentagon. He shares his story, Memory Box echoes of 9 11. Thank you for being with us on a solemn day for you and your family. There is a part of what you said that sticks with me. You were outside the building, looking in down the Core Door you saw your Wifes Office with smoke coming out of it. What is going through your Mind Today 20 years later . When will that Security Guard get out of the way so i can get in there . But he didnt and the smoke was clearly too thick. You know i watched firefighters coming out, the heroism was unbelievable. And it was one of those situations that where to a certain extent, you always say, could i have done more . And i looked at those heroes and said i couldnt have done more to them. At the same time it was obviously my duty as Shelleys Husband to try and find her. And as you mentioned, there was that other pole, the children and their future. So, there were no good decisions that day. Yeah, a tough day for sure. Those firefighters were simply doing everything they could to find shelley. They were doing that job for you, don. Enough, i know you moved to west virginia. You were afraid of another attack happening in washington, d. C. How much did this day shape your life and the challenges of healing from all of this . What were the biggest challenges there . I tell you, just moving back to west virginia, i live about an hour, hourandahalf from washington now. But out in the country and that was the greatest decision i ever made for a number of reasons. First, just because i felt the kids and i were safe out here. Also, because the people in this area i live just outside of sheppardstown, west virginia. They took us in. They became friends. They became family literally, my kids led me to a new life. I remarried in 2007. So moving near changed my life so much for the better after that, you know, horrible day. And 20 years later, i still carry that sense of enormous loss, but Memory Box actually gave me an opportunity to look back on those years and realize how much i owe to people throughout that time, people even people ive lost touch with who were there for me, who were there for the family and who picked us up and helped us shoulder the burden and to build a new and joyful life. And before we let you go, yo go, you say you still take guidance from shelly. In fact, we want to listen quick from the Memory Box what you said about that . I found a little Note Pad under one of the seats, and it was shellys notepad, and it had a bunch of, you know, grocery lists, things like that, but it also had some words that she wrote down. And they were, we have only a finite number of days on this earth. Make them extraordinary and fill them with passion. And i have sort of taken that as my guidance from her. I mean, that i got chills when i heard that. Me too. Don, we could obviously talk to you all day, but we only have a few moments left with you. What do you want the world to remember about that day and about shelly . To remember that there was it was a day of inhumanity, but also if you look at what happened that day, especially on Memory Box, it was also a day of humanity, and the goodness that occurred on that day will and should outshine the inhumanity of the day. Amen to that. Don marshall, our best to you and your family on this day and moving forward. Thanks for your time. Thank you. Well, Up Next, two grueling journeys. One destination, we meet the men who battle tornadoes, injuries, and heatwaves to make sure americans never receive. Overseas there are many of our colleagues and friends not forgetting as well as you take a look at the Reflecting Pool right here in Lower Manhattan, the focal point, really, of this eightacre memorial site. At the top of the hour, we expect a tribute from london. You see them there, the queens guards. This is in london right now. We expect them to play the National Anthem, the starspangled banner at the changing of the guard at Windsor Castle in the suburbs of london. For skin that never holds you back dont settle for silver 1 for diabetic dry skin 1 for Psoriasis Symptom Relief and 1 for eczema Symptom Relief Gold Bond Champion your skin before you go there, or Fist Bump there. Or. Oh i cant wait to go there or reunite there, start here. Walgreens makes it easy to stay protected wherever you go. Schedule your free Flu Shot and covid19 vaccine today. Were back from Ground Zero, marking 20 years since September 11th. This week americans have been paying tribute to those heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. Thousands of miles from here, one group of firefighters and military Members were so moved, they really wanted to find a unique way to travel the country and honor them. And here on the east coast, the brother of a firefighter who gave it all and found his own way to remember him, facing grueling obstacles along the way. Lindsey and i got a firsthand look at both emotional journeys. Reporter 40 days, 3,800 miles. Its a ride to remember, the tragic events of 20 years ago. Ten firefighters and military Members'>Service Members watched on that day from the west coast, now making a grueling crosscountry. Journey, leaving family behind. I might have to tap out there but turning the pedal one crank at a time, getting through it, and remembering all the sacrifices that were made on 911 20 years ago. Reporter the names of the 343 firefighters who died marked their trailer, reminding them of their mission. You feel those emotions every day. Reporter retired Firefighter Daryl sayles is leading his team. First a rest in ambridge. Fire chief Rob Brock is hosting. He called in on 9 11. Youll get an unexpected gift, and its those unexpected gifts that keep moving forward. Whats an example of an unexpected gift. Somebody comes up and share as story with you. We need to be able to continue to honor these guys as hard as that truth may be. This is a different yet equally arduous journey. This 68yearold Man walking 537 miles from the pentagon to shanksville, pennsylvania, to the Freedom Tower in new york. Tunnel to towers raising millions for the family of late first responders. On this one after this monthlong journey, its personal. A Return Home to staten island, new york, and the angels encircle the memorial, a tribute to his friends. He was 30 when he passed. His late brother stephen, an Offduty Firefighter who grabbed 60 pounds of gear and ran through the tunnel on 9 11 toward the burning towers. Who does that, straps the gear on . He had all the reason in the world not to. Reporter Steven Siller lost his life trying to save so many others. Theres something about 20, i have no idea why, that kind of hits harder than many of the other anniversaries, but i imagine every anniversary is tough. Every anniversary for a family is the same. We missed our Loved Ones so hard. Theres a hole in your heart forever. You never get over something like this, but you learn to live with it. The best way we learn, the siller family, is be helping others. Reporter by helping others, his Brothers Legacy lives on. One borough over, the epic journey. Its complete. Reporter crossing the Finish Line on day 40. To be able to walk up to the memorial and actually bring some closure to what this has all been like. We honor them by speaking their names and remembering them and carrying on the conversations to be able to recognize, you know, what happened 20 years ago. Reporter the men who went the distance for their fallen brothers may have fallen different routes, but they had a common destination, to never forget. And since 9 11, the fdny has lost 250 Members to 9 11related illnesses. Its only expected that number will grow in the coming years. Yeah. We want to take you all over akloss the pond as we say here in new york to london. Were taking you specifically to the Town Of Windsor where youre seeing a Commemorative Ceremony on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Theyre about to mark a minute of silence. Its an event the queen is holding, also the acting u. S. Ambassador to a great brn is in attendance. What well hear thats very special from one of our closest allies is the playing of the National Anthem, this, of course, in honor of 9 11 and all the tragedy that befell the country and, in fact, the entire work in the wake of the terrible attacks 20 years ago. We should note the queen has a very special relationship with the united states and she has a very poignant memory of her own visit to Ground Zero in 2010. She talked about the Reflecting Pools and the things that will stay with her forever. Part of her message is as we mark the terrible attacks on September 11th, 2001, my thoughts and prayers for the entire nation as well as the Family Members of victims as well as the Rescue Workers called to duty. Were going to pause for a Moment And Watch as the american National Anthem will be played shortly there on the grounds of the Windsor Castle. On guard, shoulder up. Shoulder up. On guard. Stand to action. [ Shouting Commands ] [ Shouting Commands ] clearly were watching the soldiers marching in procession for a comemorative ceremony. We do expect the National Anthem to be played any moment now. Again, you see the acting u. S. Ambassador to great britain, Philip Reeker who is in attendance, receiving what might be going to the queen. I do not see her in attendance specifically. We do know she has been living for quite some time throughout the pandemic at her much beloved home at Windsor Castle. It should also be noted you can see a lot of people there. That is not typically the case at windsor during this pandemic time, so they have clearly allowed what is likely americans who are living abroad and others who are sympathetic to and love this country as they pay honor to what we suffered through here 20 years ago today. Yeah. As you mentioned, alex, the National Anthem will play just as it did on september 12th, 2001. Were going to be monitoring this event here and bring you back any developments. But were going to go ahead and begin a new hour on msnbc right now. We are back with another hour of Special Coverage as we mark 20 years since the September 11th attacks. Im Lindsey Reiser Snanld im Alex Witt. We come to you live at the Selfreflecting Pool at Ground Zero. Im Kendis Gibson a few blocks away at one World Trade Center. People have gathered to pay tribute at three sites where nearly 3,000 people lost their lives during the Terrorist Attacks. In just moments, a commemoration is set to begin where american Airlines Flight and. Crashed into the Twin Towers. President biden along with former President Obama and First Lady and former First Lady will be in attendance. Well look at the release of the declassified 9 11 documents. At any moment, the changing of the guard at the Windsor Castle as the National Anthem will be playing. I do see the band preparing right there. Im not sure if theyre beginning to play the National Anthem or just getting ready. In just a few moments, though, at the pentagon, a Big American Flag will unfurl over the side of the building where 184 people lost their lives in the second Terror Attack. An Observance Ceremony will take place later on today. And well go to shanksville, pennsylvania, where former President Bush will deliver remarks. A flight crashed after brave passengers diverted a crash into the capitol building. And this, of course, all comes as america ends its longest war in afghanistan, which was sparked by those Terror Attacks from that day. The last u. S. Service Members left afghanistan as you know just about a couple of weeks ago. It is the longest war, and it has ended just ahead of this big anniversary. We have two more hours here of live reporting from the ground here in the u. S. As well as overseas as well as powerful stories of Reflection And Heroism. Nbcs Rehema Ellis is at Ground Zero and others have the latest on the president s plans. Welcome to all of you on this somber day. Rehema, were going to begin with you. The ceremony is happening at the one World Trade Center where you are right now. Set the scene for us. Reporter good morning again, alex. As you point out, there will be a very somber ceremony as family and friends gather to remember Loved Ones that were lost. As in past years, at 8 30, there will be a rendition of the National Anthem. At 8 46, there will be a citywide Moment Of Silence as they mark the moment when the first plane, american Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the tower. At 9 03 a. M. , another Moment Of Silence to mark the second plain, United Airlines 175 crashed into the other tower. There will be a reading of the names. It was prerecorded last year because of covid and people were not here, but family and friends will return to Ground Zero today for the reading of those names. Included in that reading will the names of 658 people from the Canter Fitzgerald financial firm who died that day. Its the largest number of employees from a single company located in the World Trade towers who died 20 years ago. Today now 60 kids from those employees have jobs at the cantor fitzgerald firm, carrying on the legacy of their parents. I want you to listen to howard, the ceo of the firm, and his brother was also killed 20 years ago today. The way i think about it is the best way to show someone who died that you loved them is to love the people that they loved, and so you go out and you take care of their kid, right . I mean i have a lot of friends up there. Thats the best thing. So weve got great young people. They love the firm. They care about the firm in the way that regular employees just could never, and theyre committed to us and were committed to them, so its amazing. Reporter as fate would have it, howard survived because he was going to work that day, but he got there late because he was dropping his son off at school. He is haunted by what happened, and he says helping family and friends is the best way in his word to stitch his broken heart back together. Alex . Yeah. Thats one way to do it. Okay, thank you, rehema, for that. There are so many stories like that of that survivor guilt. Mike, we want to go to you. President biden is on his way to the site. He was a senator. Now hes the president. How will the past 20 Years Shape todays events . Senator Joe Biden was where else, getting on the Amtrak Train when he learned of the first Plane Hitting the World Trade Center. He was then on the phone with his wife when she was teaching none of the students had come to the classroom. They were all watching the coverage in the Student Lounge when she saw the second Plane Hit the World Trade towers. And at that point, biden knew the world had changed. Last night the president and First Lady flew to new york where they will participate in three ceremonies today, making each of the locations of the attacks of 9 11. He starts his day in new york, travels then to shanksville, pennsylvania, ends the day back in washington at the pentagon. Now, weve talked so much about biden and the role hes so comfortable in, playing that role of empathizer in chief, somebody whos experienced such loss in his own life and sharing his experiences with others who have lost those. We expect the president will likely meet with some of the Families Today as well. Its significant we wont hear from the president today. The White House officials say the idea is to represent the whole country and speaking to the moment of this tragic anniversary. We did hear in a recorded video where the president talked about the importance of unity, the unity that was shown in the days after 9 11, showed the strengths of this country. Lets listen to some of those remarks. We learn that unity is the one thing that must never break. Unity is what makes us who we are, america at its best. To me, thats the central lesson of September 11th. Reporter so obviously Joe Biden now as President Of The United States, theres a different layer to the anniversary for him today. Obviously he made the decision to withdraw our forces from afghanistan in advance of this somber anniversary, and thats changed the dynamics some obviously as we mark this day. I should also note that the Vice President Kamala Harris will also be participating some of these events. She will be delivering remarks herself in shanksville, pennsylvania, before she joins the president at the pentagon. Okay. Thanks you both for starting us off this morning. Saudi arabia is welcoming the release of classified Document Reese lated to the September 11th attacks. The embassy in d. C. Released a statement in part saying any allegation that Saudi Arabia is complicit in the September 11th attacks is categorically false. There were reports coming days after President Biden ordered the doj to review and release documents from the Fbis Investigation of 9 11. Joining us now is jamie gorelick, a member of the 9 11 commission, which accounted for the complete surrounding of the attacks. Im curious when you were crafting the commissions report, were you privy to any classified documents suggests the saudi played any role in the attacks . We had access to all of the documents the fbi had, and i dont think anything was withheld. Well see when the documents are declassified whether thats true. You know, there were some trails that ran dry. We were unable to determine how these attackers were able to come to the united states with little visible means of support. I personally believe there were saudi individuals, maybe not the saudi government, but certainly people of wealth who did support the hijackers. Its impossible to imagine they would have come to the united states cold as they did and maneuver in the way that they did. What are your expectations now that we know that the president President Biden released his Executive Order wanting to release more 9 11 documents. Some are going to stay classified. If they pose a severe national security risk, theyre not going to release those. Do you think Theres Anything new in there or shocking to us . I dont know. I dont think so. I think the staff of the 9 11 commission was thorough in what it was look for. We had numerous fbi agents. We had the fbi agents who were in charge of this investigation as witnesses. The fbi itself did an Afteraction Review to make sure that it had done everything it could. So i would be surprised if we collectively are surprised, but well see. Jamie, what stands out most to you about all that you learned during the 9 11 commission . Is there anything that surprises you . The two things that surprised me were, number one, that there was not a sense of urgency within the Bush Administration leading up to this event. The Fbi Director testified his hair was On Fire, but the other relevant cabinet Members, the attorney general, secretary of transportation, their hair was not On Fire because no one set it On Fire. That is a reminder that government like any organization needs a sense of urgency about its mission, and then you cannot just assume that everyone will be doing their jobs with the requisite degree of urgency. The second surprise was the degree to which our national security agencies were not coordinated, which is why we recommended a director of national intelligence that we are coordinated today. Jamie gorelick, thank you so much for your time on this poignant day. I appreciate your insights. Thank you. Its a sad day. When we return, we head to the Home Country of the hijackers, Saudi Arabia. What we learn about the Governments Involvement as we await the release of that key fbi report. But first we want to honor the pilots of You Knightsed Airlines Flight 93, of course, that flight that crashed in shanksville, pennsylvania. As a teenager, first Saefr Leon Homer worked at nights cleaning medical buildings to save for flying lessons. Got his Pilots Lesson when he was just 16 and i would go on to graduate from the u. S. Naval academy. He serve and flew humanitarian missions. His copilot was captain Jason Dahl. At 13 years old he joined the several Air Patrol in his hometown of san jose, california. He flew solo when he was 13 years old. When he flew, he carried a box of rocks. He flew so he could take his wife the following weekend to celebrate their fifth anniversary. Leroy homer and Jason Dahl were the first to fight against the Terroristic Threat on flight 93. Music playing. Theres an america we build and one we explore one thats been paved and one thats forever wild but freedom means you dont have to choose just one adventure you get both. Introducing the Allnew 3row Jeep grand cherokee l jeep. Theres only one. Were going to head over to Saudi Arabia right now, the country, of course, where the majority of the September 11th hijackers were from. Nbc senior Correspondent Keir simmons is there this morning. Good morning. What is the country telling you about since the attack . Reporter good morning. Its been a long time since the attacks, of course, but those attacks have Cast A Long Shadow on Saudi Arabia and across the region because as you mentioned, 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. Of course, infamously Osama Bin Laden came from Saudi Arabia. Here they are waiting for the release of those documents that you were talking about a little earlier, that Fbi 16page Summary of the investigation into whether there was assistance by saudi officials for the hijackers. Saudi arabia, in fact, this week even, getting in what you could call a kind of prebuttal, saying they want to see the instruments released, denying there was any kind of conspiracy between the saudi government and Al Qaeda. You ask about change. Those attacks changed america. They also changed the world. You could argue many of the changes seen here in Saudi Arabia, particularly in recent years, have been driven by the impacts of those attacks. So youve seen and weve heard about it many times, changes for women here, women able to drive, women and men able to mix in ways they werent previously, the religious police no longer on the streets here. Many of those changes are driven by a Crown Prince who only rose to that position in 2017. He was just a teenager during September 11th. There are questions whether those changes are real, especially after the killing of khashoggi. The changes are extremely important if they do stick, if you line, because this is such an important country for the whole of the middle east. One last thing, guys. This country and the rest of this region continues to grapple with americas continuing battle the battle that america has been having for as long as america has existed, frankly, which is how much to intervene in the world, how much to be a beacon of democracy for the world, whether the right thing to do is to launch Attacks Launch invasions in other countries after you saw after 9 11, or whether, in fact, america should withdraw. That is a tension that america has had for many, many years, but every country around the world has to figure out where america is going, what its position is in the world. As a recent example, Saudi Arabia is worried about American Patriot Missiles from Saudi Arabia, and a not small point. Just in the last month, Saudi Arabia signed Defense Deal with russia. Guys . All right. Were going to leave it there with Keir Simmons and the saudi capital of riyadh. Thank you. 9 11 triggered a Wakeup Call over security, how our everyday lives changed especially, especially when we travel. Plus beams of brightness on this very somber day. This years change to the iconic Tribute And Light. Were going to to show that to you. Also were going to take you to the Windsor Castle and listen to the National Anthem being played there on the courtyard. Its velveeta versus the other guys. Clearly, nothing melts like velveeta. Did you know faded, dingy, and rough fabrics are often caused by layers of residue trapped inside . Things like hard water metals, odors, and oils. Try 9 Elements Laundry Detergent and purifying softener. Its vinegar powered clean is like detoxifying your clothes. And its never made with more than 9 ingredients. Try 9 elements. More than a clean, a cleanse. Hey neal, with 3 cash back at drugstores from Chase Freedom unlimited, youre always earning i got this great shampoo you should try. Yeah, you look good of course i do, neal. 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The lights of the museum will light up rooftops. The museum is also open today to 911 families, survivors, and Rescue Workers. The president and First Lady expected to join the museum in just over an hour. Live with me now is clifford shannon, Vice President for education and public programs for the 9 11 memorial and museum. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you, kendis. Ive seen from my apartment the last couple of days, the Dress Rehearsal for the tribute in light. I was down here at Ground Zero on the very first day. Still gets chills to this day. What sort of reaction do you get from people who come down here to see it . Its still a very moving moment to All Of Us who remember the day back to the day, and so the challenge from all of this is as we have a new generation, it doesnt remember 9 11. It has no memory of it. Its history for them. How do we transport the importance of this to them as well. You guys are probably in a very difficult position, i would say. There are some people who say, yes, this is the third most popular museum in new York City and it holds such heavy weight for so many people. But there are others here who are just doing selfies. You have to straddle that delicate fence there. It is true. But i take a little different view than some of my colleagues. People make the choice to come here. They are here because they want to participate in this common effort. And so 99 of our visitors behave perfectly and do exactly what you would hope and expect. If theres a little tweak with someone occasionally, we know about that. It happens when so many people come to a place. I mean its been open some six or seven years now. You get countless visitors every year, especially during these times of year. When you meet a survivor or a victim Family Member that comes through this museum for the first time, what is that like . Well, weve had relationships with all kinds of the 9 11 community. Even before the museum was built. The Planning Process incorporated many of them. You know, its interesting. Weve developed relationships, and in the course of daily interactions, you obviously know what their story is. But their interactions are very much kind of the normal part of the day. But today when everybody gathers here, you see all of the daily lives stripped away, and they go back to the sorrow of their loss. Today is really a very, very different marker for them and for us. I want to get your take on the whole controversy because ever since day one, since the Museum Doors opened up, there have been controversies surrounding it. Most recently, a new documentary came out in august that the museum failed to do enough to discontinue grish Al Qaeda from the majority of muslims. What do you make of that . Well, theyre entitled to their opinion. We went through an Intenive Process with the development of that part of the exhibition, and the challenging question is does the museum do a good job to discontinue extinguish between Al Qaeda and muslims . I think the museum does a good job in indicating that. We say the Al Qaeda represent a minority of the vast muslims in the world. President biden has been there before. What do you expect well see from him in just about an hour and a half . Well, you know T President has been here before. His interactions with the families, the survivors were really very profound. We know that President Biden has them pathieu and suppresses it very clearly. I would expect more of it today. Anybody who has experienced 9 11 can understand why its so difficult to come down here, but you guys do a great tribute. Thank you. Thank you very much. Alex, lindsey . As we reflect on all the ways the attacks have changed our lives, i think the one felt most universally is the heightened Security Protocols we see every day with public transport from going to the airports and to flights. Stephanie gosk is live at the airport. How have the events of 9 11 not only shaped Security But Travel in our everyday lives. Reporter yeah. Its hard to overstate how its changed really if you think about it. Im here in Times Square. You may remember in those early days right after the attack, there was such fear in the city that Times Square was essentially empty and you really had a country that was in shock, of course, dealing with this tragedy, buttal knew it had to try to stop the next one. And that meant stopping something that liked like what had happened on 9 11, but also anything that could happen beyond that. Thats kind of tick through a little bit of those kinds of events. First of all, you had Air Travel Change dramatically. Homeland security and tsa, a huge organization, you were taking security away from individual airports and cities and putting it in the hands of the federal government, and that meant increased security to get into your flight. You may remember a time when you actually had Loved Ones escort you to your gate. Thats a time that has long since passed. Then you had these major events in new York City and the new York Police department at the time thinking it really needed to do more to stand up, of course, to prevent those kinds of attacks. I had an opportunity to speak to the former commissioner, ray kelly. He was here for 14 years, the longest Serving Commissioner at the nypd. Heres what he said to me about the challenge in those early days. You look as the commissioner after the attacks. We were doing virtually doing nothing in the counterterrorism field. The Intelligence Division was essentially escorting the vip. We had to totally revamp our Intelligence Division. We created an intelligence bureau. Reporter that meant for events like, lets say new Years Eve in Times Square, they had to view those as potential targets. Times square every year, there are all sorts of security measures. You had people being chenged for guns when they come in. You had concrete barriers set up to protect from possible vehicleborn bombs, vbbs, theyre called, and dogs sniffing around. Totally dncht world. Stephanie gosk, thank you so much. Kendis . Turning pain into art. Victims of the attack profess their heartache within the four walls of a Memory Box 20678 years later the filmmakers track them down and they join us live next. Plus, a live look at the pentagon. Thats where were awaiting quite a scene right now. One of the first 9 11 events of the day, the flag unfurling right there on the Western Front of the pentagon as the Sun Rises there on our nations capitol. Well be right back. Well be right back. That Delicious Omelet was microwaved . Get outta here. 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Some people taking otezla reported weight loss. Your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. Upper respiratory Tract Infection and headache may occur. Tell your doctor about your medicines, and if youre pregnant or planning to be. Otezla. Show more of you. girl 1 feeling lost. Help . And Man Ure pregnant ordo what moves you. girl 2 put yourself out there. Lets take a journey to a place where worry, is a person its ok to be lost. Just cant comprehend lets take a journey lets take a journey take a journey i just really believed my life was going to end at that point. I cried out to jesus and i asked him, jesus, help me. Help me get out of this. I said theyre going to fall. Theyre going to fall. I cant get over the fact that shes gone because its too much to think about, and what happened that day is still too much for me to think about. America was probably as unified as it could ever be. Those are just some of the reallife stories never shown on film, taken in the days after September 11th. Those accounts come from eyewitnesses who found some space to speak freely inside a private Plywood Box created by an artist. That box traveled from new York City to the pentagon and on to shanksville, pennsylvania. Now 20 years later, two film makes rebuilt that box, tracked down people in that box, and revisited their stories. Theyre joining us now. David belton and bjorn johnson. Thank you so much for being with us on such a monumental day. David, i want to hear from you first. What is it like hearing these stories 20 years later and what do you hear in their voices . I think initially we felt privileged that these people felt courageous enough to come back into The Box 20 years after doing something so heartfelt. 20 years ago they were so fresh and raw with experiences that have often left them deeply wounded, and they would have carried those feelings for 20 years, and the invitation we made to them to come back into The Box was one which had attached to it quite a lot of risk. How would they feel sitting back in The Box, closing the door, talking to the camera. And i felt that was something we felt truly honored by. The second thing i felt to me was how natural they were. It was almost as though they were picking up where they left off, and that was just a wonderful experience to witness really. That they kind of knew they were in a safe space, that they were in a place where they could feel happy to tell us and themselves their feelings. So, bjorn, pick up on what david just said. How did those people feel . Yes, they had a hans to be themselves. Was there a poignancy, sadness, joy of how things moved . What was the difference . As david said, i think they took a big Leap Of Faith to return to The Box. Actually i was nervous about how they would react to coming to The Box, but actually it was a cathartic moment for them, and they werent just willing to return. They wanted to return. And i think its a rare thing for people to be able to share their story in the space we created for them and the essence. It was something we wanted to return to. I think the trauma to people if they can share their stories, they wanted to do that. You have people who moved forward, people who are not so resolved, people who live and breathe 9 11 every day such as jojo. As david said, it was a privilege go see them get back in The Box and see them 20 years later. David belton and bjorn johnson, thank you so much for your time and the work on this film. Incredible. If you missed it, you can watch it here. Well worth it. Streaming exclusively on peacock. Well worth it. All right. We want to now head over to the pentagon where were expecting a flag unfurling ceremony. Some of the previews of the ceremony have already started. re expecting to hear Amazing Grace played on bagpipes. We head over to courtney. Good morning. Reporter thats right. We expect to see the American Flag unfurled on the side of the pentagon just as it was 20 years ago on the day of the September 11th attacks. We expect the day to have a very solemn ceremony. Well hear from general Milley And Secretary austin. Both served in the war in afghanistan. Well have a Wreath Laying Ceremony. And as you mentioned, well hear a moment of Silence And Playing of the bagpipes. The guests will be the people sit behind me during the ceremony and then theyll have a moment to go over to the Pentagon Memoir Dwral thats just behind me as well. It was built as a remembrance of these attacks. Theyll have an opportunity to go see the individual benches with their Loved Ones names on them. This is a very solemn day, and we expect everything to be the same. Exactly. Courtney, tell me where the flag is going go unfurled. Is it in a traditional flagpole area, an area hit by a plane . Where is it actually going to go down . Reporter you see behind me blue lights on the side of the billing. The flag will come down alongside the building there. A lot of people may remember 20 years ago that was the same thing that happened. An enormous flag was unfurled down the side of the building. Every year they do the same thing around sunrise on September 11th. Right behind me where the blue lights are, that was the impact point. The memorial is down from there right alongside of the building. There it is. A very poignant Moment Courtney was just alluding to. Right now were just a few seconds after 6 46. There the American Flag lays. Lets listen to some of the program. Dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming . Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming . And the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh, say, does that starspangled Banner Yet Wave oer the land of the free and the Home Of The Brave . Well, that was beautiful. Courtney, may i ask you the significance of 6 46 . Why that moment with the American Flag being unfurled . Reporter so its unfurled at sunrise. Every year they do this as a remembrance of the 59 people killed on american flight 77 and the 125 killed inside the pentagon during that attack. You may recall that day after the attack happened, the pentagon was literally still in flames and they were trying to save people, pull them out of the building that was smoldering. A group of workers unfurled the American Flag alongside the image of the pentagon and of the resilience of this building. Within literally within a matter of minutes after the attack people here in the pentagon were making their way back into the building to continue working. They knew that with this attack and with the attacks in new york and in shanksville they knew they had a job to do, that this was an attack on america and that this building would be the one responding. They moved right back into the building. As a sign of the resilience here they put that American Flag out. It was something that was out for people to see for a matter of days afterwards and its really this symbol of the attack of remembering the people who were killed in this attack and of the fact that this building, despite the fact it had just been hit in such a horrible way it did not shut down and went back to work right after the attack. 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Thats why were building 5g right, thats why theres only one best network. Instantly clear Everyday Congestion with Vicks Sinex saline. For fast drug free relief Vicks Sinex. Instantly clear Everyday Congestion. And try Vicks Sinex childrens saline. Safe and gentle relief for childrens noses. Hey google. Welcome back, everybody here to Ground Zero, and alex, i want to talk to you about your own reflections. On September 11th, 20 years ago you were working for msnbc, and you ran here to the site to report on it in the days after. Yeah, it was a harrowing experience just even getting down here in the dead of night. But youre absolutely right, i reported all night long. And for some days afterwards, just steps from Ground Zero. The entire area was pitch dark with no power at all, only the lights shining on the pile, helping the firefighters search through the crumbled ruins of the Twin Towers. I spoke with many firefighters off camera, they were in shock. They will never forget with they witnessed. Neither will i. Heres some of my reporting from that night. 2 00 a. M. , september 12th. Were standing about four Blocks North of Ground Zero here along the west Side Highway and along the highway on both sides, as far as the eye can see, are fire trucks, rescue operations, all sorts of utility trucks. I spoke with one firefighters whos been on the job for 23 years. Of course, as you can well understand, says hes never seen anything like this. For 12 hours, on 12hour long shifts they have been combing through the rubble, which along the South Side of the building stands about five to seven stories high. It is just a jumble of huge pieces of concrete through which these firefighters were assigned to try and get into little crevices, areas anywhere where they might be able to see a body, a victim, perhaps somebody alive. I asked this one firefighter if he felt personally there was a chance for anybody to be alive in there. He looked at me straight in the eye and he said i dont hold out any hope at all. The steel beams that plummeted down from buildings one and two and have pitched themselves into the ground it early looks like a cathedral in hell, as you can imagine in a. We have not heard good word yet. Not yet, forest and i have to say you were talking about how difficult it is to describe the scene. It was very difficult for me even to just listen to you, put really specific stories, detailed stories to the carnage that we have seen behind us. They saw personal items, shoes, coats, a firefighters hat. But nothing to indicate any kind of life. It is very, very dangerous work, very slow going for these firefighters. They feel like they are making no progress at all in terms of getting down to the depths of the rubble. There is still quite a significant plume of Smoke And Dust which continues to emanate from this building. Our own Alex Witt has been down there in south manhattan for quite some time. We have seen the trucks coming in consistently now and as far as i can see down the road i see yellow lights flashing atop of these that are just blaring out against the pitch black sky. Both of these groups i had spoken to had been on the job for 24 hours. Theyd been on fighting other fires or assisting with problems in their own districts, and then were pulled into here. They were exhausted to say the least. They had these haunted looks about them yet they said what kept them going was the possibility of hope of finding someone alive. We have new pictures in to us that were just fed in a short while ago and this is the scene from Ground Zero as it stands right now. But the last hour and a half has seen an increase in the number of manpower, personnel, people walking the streets coming in and out, were seeing changes of crews, freshfaced people coming in with a look of bewilderment at the sight before them. You can see this is the manhattan Community College next to me. It was described to me that the largest piece still standing in the base of one of the World Trade towers is about up to where that row of windows is, encased in the white concrete. Thats about all that stands. You know, its hard to even see that again. So poignant and we do so as we hear the Bag Pipers practicing down there on street level. Theyre going to be performing later on during the Commemorative Ceremony, you add the memories, the visual of what im seeing and listening to that as well. Its tough. Yeah. I can hear it in your voice and, you know, you were saying that the lights, the Search Lights were the only ones that were on and then you see the video of it and all of Lower Manhattan is pitch black and, you know, those rescuers doing what they do but still holding out little hope. Yeah. Alex, thanks. Were going to begin a new hour of msnbc right now. Good morning, everyone, im lindsey reiser. Im Alex Witt and were back with another hour of Special Coverage, live near Ground Zero as we mark 20 years since September 11th. And Im Kendis Gibson as well, near Ground Zero where there are plenty of activities starting to get going right here. Looking down right now, and i believe former President Obama has just rolled up a few minutes ago. We have the governor of New Jersey who has arrived. Plenty of activities, as you mentioned, will be unfolding within the next few minutes as soon as we get those pictures of former President Obama coming out of his vehicle well get them to you. In the meantime this was the scene at the pentagon a few moments ago where the American Flag was unfurled, its the first of todays tributes marking this emotional milestone of the Terror Attacks. Were talking to a man who lost his wife when the flight crashed into the pentagon, killing 184 people. I watched firefighters coming out, the heroism was unbelievable. And it was one of the situations where, to a certain extent, you always say, could i have done more and i looked at those heroes and said i couldnt have done more than them. At the same time it was obviously my duty as Shellys Husband to try and find her. Ground zero in new York City, in addition to President Obama as kendis mentioned were expecting President Biden and the First Lady. You can hear, probably right now, Bag Pipers rehearsing for the program. This, of course, is the site where two planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and in the next hour that Commemoration Ceremony will take place. This hour were speaking with a 9 11 survivor who made a harrowing escape from the 105th Floor. And new york to pennsylvania, where former president george w. Bush will deliver remarks this morning at 10 03 a. M. 20 years ago flight 93 crashed before it could reach washington, d. C. A group of heroic passengers and crew foiling those hijackers before they could hit their intended target. And the Healing Power of sports. Later this hour well take a look at how baseball helped bring together new yorkers and all americans days after the 9 11 Terror Attacks. Well be formed by Bobby Valentine and Joe Torre to get their personal reflections. And right now we have a team of reporters and analysts, plus some powerful stories of Reflection And Heroism to share with you. We start off the hour with raheema ellis. And monica elba. We welcome you both. In this last hour we saw the sun come up, shining some light on an otherwise very dark time for memories and dark time in our hearts certainly. Talk about whats happening right now. Reporter well, in a few moments were going to start to see some of the Family Members and friends come in for whats become a tradition and a somber moment as they gathered for this traditional reading of nearly 3,000 names of those who died 20 years ago here. There will also be a Moment Of Silence, two moments of citywide silence to mark the times when the plane struck, one struck the North Tower, then the second struck the South Tower. And Gordon Hoy is someone whos going to be thinking a lot about this simple and participating in it. He lost his sister that day. She was in an event at the top of the towers at the famous restaurant windows on the world. And he is a doctor whos trying to make his way down here to be of some assistance. But as he got here the building was collapsing and he barely survived. Listen to him, a man who says he still has nightmares about that day, 20 years later. 20 years later i can still hear it, smell it, taste it, and see it as if it just happened yesterday. Its nothing that i will ever forget. The only time i will ever forget about this is when i depart this mortal coil, and maybe god in his timing will take me sooner than later. I dont know. But i do know god trusts me a lot and hes put me through a lot and i trust god. Reporter one of the things that gordon says he hopes that people will do is remember that life is short, and because it is we hopes that people will live their lives to the fullest, something that i think about a lot, and particularly on this day. Like you, alex, as you said, i was down here that night and in the days that followed. And one of the things that you said that struck me was so important is how dark it was down here, but also how quiet. It was a deadly kind of silence that just permeated everything that i was feeling that day and makes me think so much about the People Today who were wondering what was the fate of their love ones. And now today we have this moment to remember and to fulfill a promise of saying well never forget. Guys, Back To You. Ill tell you, rehema, were getting a glimpse of you as well from 20 years later. Thank you for your thoughts. First lady dr. Jill biden released a statement moments ago commemorating 20 years. Whats her message . Reporter were learning about all of her reflections, of course, 20 years ago. It was, at the time, professor Jill Biden who let her husband know, then Senator Joe Biden, that these attacks were taking place. She called him while he was on an Amtrak Train from wilmington, delaware here to washington, d. C. Where he was going to be going to work at the capitol, and as she recounts it, she was on the phone when the second Plane Hit the second tower, and all she could say was, oh, my god, oh, my god, oh, my god. And as then Senator Biden was listening to this, he was trying to figure out what was going to happen next and we are learning now from First Lady Jill Biden who of course along with the president both of them are waking up in new York City this morning to attend the first of Three Memorial Ceremonies but she wrote in a statement what so many of us have experienced, which is that that moment on September 11th, 20 years ago, really marked a before and an after that so many of us remember that delineation. And she went on to write about that pain and the tragedy of that day that still is sered within us but then also the importance of unity, which is something that President Biden, in a twitter Video Yesterday, talked about as one of the enduring messages and lessons, he says, from that day 20 years ago. Take a listen. We learn that unity is the one thing that must never break. Unity is what makes us who we are. America at its best. To me, thats the central lesson of September 11th. Reporter so President Biden, the First Lady, will be marking that commemoration at Ground Zero. From there they will go to shanksville, pennsylvania, of course, to participate in a Wreath Laying Ceremony there, and finally they will end the da at the pentagon for another important commemoration, the White House saying it was very important to the bidens to be sure to attend all three memorial sites today, that that was a major priority for him and they put out that Video Yesterday to be his more formal remarks. We dont expect to hear him give any kind of Speech Today even though Vice President harris will be speaking in shanksville, pennsylvania later this morning, guys. Thanks to Monica Alba at the White House. Monica, thank you. So we all remember where we were when the attacks happened, but very few people have memories like Joe Dit Mar. He was working in insurance in new york on business sitting on the 105th Floor of the South Tower when the first Plane Hit. He was one of the lucky ones. He was able to make it out safely. Taking the stairs. The entire way down. He started the always remember initiative to help keep the memories of the victims alive. And we are, in fact, honored to have Joe Dittmar joining us today. Welcome to you, sir, as you think back on that tragic morning what sticks out most to you 20 years later . Some of your previous guests have said the same thing. For those of us that survived it feels just like yesterday. Its unbelievable that it has been 20 years, and yet that feeling of fear, that feeling of unity that we had as the president mentioned, all those things come rushing back on an anniversary like this, and theyre here with me this morning. You know, take us back to that moment when you chose to take the stairs instead of the elevator, i mean, you had some Safety And Security knowledge, made that split second decision. What do you think would have happened if you had chosen the elevator instead of the stairs . If id have chosen the elevator i wouldnt be here talking with you this morning. The plane went through our building between floors 77 and 83. And there were hundreds, maybe thousands of people who had rushed to the Sky Lobby Level there on 78 to take elevators down, for them it was logical, it made sense that they would get down more quickly and like you said, my Insurance Training had basically taught me, building, elevator, building in duress, elevator, emergency now, i better stay in the stairwell. And thats organizably the best decision i made and what is still my life. I was somewhere between 74 and 73 when the second plane plowed through our building between 77 and 83. Good heavens. Joe, you said it feels like yesterday when you come here but talk about the feelings inside. Do you resurrect fear, do you resurrect pain or do you just have a grateful heart for being here, and more . Right. The fear and the pain are only natural feelings. But in order to combat that, and in order to make sure that you manage that, and manage that circumstance, you have to think of the good, of the positive, of the lessons that you learned, such as living the day, and never expecting or anticipating anything, always living the day. And i choose to do that, to live that. And i choose to continue to talk about it as a catharsis and to give a voice to 3,000 people who no longer have a voice so that they wasnt more can be heard. Thats the way that i deal with this internally, and externally. Every day. Yeah. What is your message right now to your fellow americans on this really somber day . Always remember, and never forget. We are obliged to learn from history and we are obliged to continue the story so that perhaps, perhaps that History Wont Repeat itself. But most importantly remember the brave souls who gave up their lives that day and we should always remember them in any way possible by just living our best, best lives. Joe, how are you going to spend today . I am going to be doing a presentation at a Community College outside of chicago where i am right now, and its a place that ive spoken many, many 9 11s and im getting the chance to do it again. They asked me to do it for the 20th Anniversary. Ill also be spending lots of time on face time since im away from family with family and with friends commemorating the day. Well, it sounds like exactly the way you should be spending this day. Sharing your story, sharing the lessons of 9 11 and also sharing it with your Loved Ones. Joe, thank you so much for your time. Thanks, joe. Thank you for letting me be here, i appreciate it. What a great way for joe to give back. When we come back, honoring the hundreds of fdny Members who gave their lives 20 years ago today, how their colleagues are making sure of their memory lives on as they remember a day that changed that job forever. And later, inside the now famous Baseball Game that brought Healing And Hope to this country. We learned that unity is the one thing that must never break. Unity is what makes us who we are, america at its best. To me, thats the central lesson of September 11th. And one we explore one thats been paved and one thats forever wild but freedom means you dont have to choose just one adventure you get both. Introducing the Allnew 3row Jeep grand cherokee l jeep. Theres only one. And there you have it woah. Wireless on the most reliable network nationwide. Wow big deal . We get unlimited for just 30 bucks. Sweet, but mine has 5g included. Relax people, my wireless is crushing it. Thats because you all have Xfinity Mobile with your internet. Its wireless so good, it keeps one upping itself. Switch to Xfinity Mobile and save hundreds on your wireless bill. Plus, save up to 400 when you purchase a new Samsung Phone or upgrade your existing phone. Learn more at your local xfinity store today. Welcome back, and thank you for joining us this morning as we mark 20 years since the attacks that changed america, and the world. September 11th, 2001 was the single deadliest day ever for firefighters in this country, 343 Members of the new York Fire department sacrificed their lives to save others, even more first responders have died of illnesses since. Lets go to nbcs Ron Allen joining us from a Fire House in new York City where today there are events marking the especially tragic loss suffered there. Ron, good morning. Reporter good morning. Were at engine 56 here in midtown manhattan and the story here is of just unbelievable heroism and sacrifice. Back on September 11th, 20 years ago there were 15 firefighters on duty here. They all raced to the scene of Ground Zero, and none of them returned. This morning, as the case on every anniversary, family and friends and relatives are gathering here for their own special Remembrance And Ceremony to support each other. We spoke to one firefighter, his name is john fila, he was here 20 years ago but he was off duty because he swapped shifts with another colleague, he came, raced to the scene, like so many others, spent weeks and weeks on the pile. He now bears a unique burden because he feels that guilt of surviving. He also worries that, as so many others do, that with each checkup he goes to see a doctor that he, too, may be diagnosed with some potentially fatal illness like so many other first responders have. But mostly he says that he worries about the fact that the nation 20 years later seems to be moving on, that people are forgetting the Sacrifice And Heroism that happened that day. Heres some of what he had to say about that. Take a listen. We hope people dont forget after this year. It seems like a lot of people are getting to that point, that its been 20 years. And enough. It will never be enough for us. As long as we wear the uniform theyre always going to be in our hearts and always in the forefront of our minds. And we just dont want people after the 20th year to say, okay, were done. This is something that were going to do and i know ill do until the day i go. Reporter one thing that he says that gives him strength is that there are two socalled legacy first responders here, the son of one firefighter who perished, the daughter of another, is an emt who was based here, and he tells the story of how, when you are around them and you turn around and close your eyes and listen to their voices, you can hear their fathers voices 20 and that must be just an unbelievable thing to have happen. Across the city there are at least 65 legacy first responders and the number has increased in recent years as these young people have come of age. That is something that gives a lot of people hope and gives a lot of People Inspiration as the years continue to roll by. But, again, right now, families gathering for this special remembrance. There are gatherings like this at Fire Houses, police precincts across the city. Of course there is the big event but then there are of course these smaller family moments you might call them. Intimate moments where people are coming together, remembering, and supporting each other, and like they hope the nation does, never forgetting. Back to you guys. Absolutely, ron, and we should remind our viewers that President Obama and his wife michelle have joined us here on site. They are at 9 11 for the commemorative ceremonies. They did release a very long statement. I want to read in part that which really pertains to rons report just now and they talk about that list of lessons is long and growing but one thing that became clear on 9 11 has been clear ever since is that america has always been home to heroes who run towards danger in order to do what is right and of course they repeat throughout that lengthy statement we will never forget. Again, ron, thank you so much. Well, joining me right now is bostOn Firefighter edward kelly, the president , by the way, of the international association of firefighters, edward, thank you so much for being here, really appreciate your time. Kendis, thanks for having me. Its been a while since youve been down here to Ground Zero. Yes. After you spent several weeks here. Your early thoughts as you look around, you see that memorial. You havent made it into the museum itself. Kind of still hits you, doesnt it . Absolutely it does and matter of fact we did a wreath laying here yesterday with the new York City fire unions and as the bag pipes were playing i looked up at the Freedom Tower. It all really kind of hit me, you know. And its very emotional, obviously, for All Of Us. I mean, everyone with, you know, a pure heart was wounded that day all over the world. We saw, you know, a lot of innocent people that were taken. But the hurt does continue so many years afterwards. You heard Ron Allens report talking about that particular battalion that he mentioned that is losing more Members than any other Fire House in new York City. How heavy are the losses that firefighters are facing, even today . Well, we have a profession where theres a lot of risk involved and sacrifice. But on 9 11 losing 343 brave new York City firefighters at one event was unprecedented. And for the Fire Houses here in manhattan and brooklyn there were disproportionately impacted because of their proximity to Ground Zero. A Fire House that lost 15 Members, think about the families, thats 15 families we have a sacred Oath And Bond to each other to take care of our families, god forbid we get killed. All of that said you knew the danger, so many of your colleagues knew the danger. You were there in boston. You were a young firefighter at the time, a military veteran, with some demolition experience, and you decided to pick up and come down here. And spend two weeks in the rubble in the building nearby. I saw you looking at that building and it almost seemed as if some sad memories came flooding back. Its ironic to be here because in that lobby my first day down here at Ground Zero to work but i was one of literally thousands and thousands of firefighters from around the world that descended on what we called the pile, to do our part, to tell, you know, the people of new york, and our brothers. What stood out to you the most . For me, when i was down here, and even living in manhattan at the time, it was the smell. The burning debris. The burning building parts. The burning everything. What stood out to you. I have to say that the aftermath of the collapses left a landscape that even hollywood fiction couldnt produce. And the smells, for sure. And the dust. That certainly permeated everything. But really, the true images of all of these buildings around here. I remember a giant piece of steel sticking out of the building over here, and it was just a surreal scene. How has Fire Fighting changed since then . Outside here, you know, like anything, we evolve. And our oath is just to protect people, to be there when people are having their worst day and show up and try to make it better or die trying. All right, were going to leave it there, thank you, so much, appreciate your work, your service. I know its going to be a tough day for you and your colleagues. Thank you, kendis, god bless and god bless america. You as well. Thank you. Lindsey . The view from overseas has been a pretty complicated one over the past 20 years, even more so over the last month as the u. S. Worked to evacuate americans and our allies from afghanistan. Richard engel joins us next with that perspective. In just over an hour from now President Biden will join not only our former president s obama and clinton and our former first ladies, but hundreds of people gathered at Ground Zero to remember and honor those who lost their lives at the Twin Towers, were going to have full coverage of this ceremony this morning. But first, as we reflect on the past 20 years, many people across this country are honoring the heroes who stepped up that day. We must never forget the sacrifice of all the people that worked on the pile, and all the first responders that gave all. They ran towards danger when others were running away from it. We must never forget them. Frequent heartburn . Not anymore. The Prilosec Otc Twoweek challenge is helping people love what they love again. Just one pill a day. 24 hours. Zero heartburn. Because life starts when heartburn stops. Take the challenge at prilosecotc dot com. Today marks two decades since the 9 11 attacks on the u. S. , they changed our country, they also changed the world, in fact, overseas the 20year war may be officially over but there are growing concerns about terrorism now that the taliban has regained control of afghanistan. Richard engel is in qatar, could the Talibans Victory in afghanistan inspire more extremists . Reporter it absolutely could and intelligence officials around the world are telling me that they are exactly concerned about that, and this is intelligence officials here in the region, also in europe, there is a profound concern that a new narrative from the taliban that the that they were able to defeat the united states and return to power, even after 20 years of struggle, that they could topple a superpower, is inspiring, and it will inspire lone wolves. It will inspire people to try to go to afghanistan for training, or more likely, to just stay at home and try and carry out some sort of attack. We had isis for several years when it was able to carve out a state from the debris of the iraq war. Isis was inspiring a generation. Now the taliban has carved out a state from the debris of that war in afghanistan, and it could also inspire terrorists. But this one, much more potentially much more powerful because isis was seen always as a temporary solution. Isis was always the enemy of the region. The taliban, the u. S. Withdrew in an agreement with the taliban and the taliban is exceptionally well armed and entrenched and digging in so might be in power in afghanistan for many, many years to come. Im curious, the situation there in doha, are there commemorations, are there public positions of honoring what happened 20 years ago today . Not that im aware of. What theyre dealing with now is the aftermath of the collapse of afghanistan. So they are still actively in a Refugee Crisis in this country. They are still in an Extraction Mission to pull american citizens, green card holders, foreign nationals, out of afghanistan, qatar has emerged as the key mediator between the west and the taliban. Its not a moment of Reflection And Healing right now, its a moment of dealing with a crisis. Dealing with a collapsed state in the middle of central asia and dealing with an impending humanitarian crisis for the 40 Million afghans who the u. N. Warns are facing extreme crisis of malnutrition. Okay, all right, richard engel, our thanks to your for that reporting. Kendis . All right, when we come back well revisit what was quite the moment, a moment of unity off the field, Up Next the former managers of new yorks two rival baseball teams reflect on the game that brought america together, just ten days after the September 11th attacks. And in just a few minutes, the president is expected to visit the 9 11 Museum And Memorial and attend a service at Ground Zero as we continue to remember the lives lost and the heroes among us 20 years ago this morning. For skin that never holds you back dont settle for silver 1 for diabetic dry skin 1 for Psoriasis Symptom Relief and 1 for eczema Symptom Relief Gold Bond Champion your Skin Helen knew exercise could help her diabetes. But she didnt know what was right for her. No. Nope. No way. 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For the great people of our country this is a very sad day, September 11th represents great sorrow for our country. Many things were displayed that day, including most importantly the bravery of our police, fire and first responders of every kind. The job they did was truly unbelievable. We love them, and we thank them. Now, that is only part that is only part of that video. The president went on to criticize President Biden, this on the nature of the afghanistan withdrawal. Of course under the circumstances on a day when the u. S. Marks the 9 11 attacks, a day you think of us as unifying this country we hear yet another message of division from the former president. And, of course, the former president will be spending part of this evening at a fight in hollywood, florida. In the meantime, on september 21st, 2001 you may recall this, our nation was grieving, and looking for solace in the wake of the 9 11 attacks and it was that night that baseball resumed in new York City with the Twin Towers still smoldering in the distance, in the bottom of the eighth inning new York Mets catcher Mike Piazza created a moment now forever etched in history. Lopez once and away and its a deep to left hit, andrew jones on the run. This one has a chance. Mike piazza and the mets lead, 32. To this day that emotional play seen as a moment of healing, and joining us right now former new York Mets manager Bobby Valentine hell be taking part in tonights 9 11 memorial and remembrance. Hey, Bobby Valentine, its so good to see you. We had hoped to have your partner Joe Torre, not always a partner, we hoped to have him. But we werent able to get that connection made. As we think about this, bobby, that game was the first regular season professional Sporting Event here in new York City after this September 11th attacks. Talk about the mood, the atmosphere and the stadium, the dugout that night and also talk about what we just witnessed there when Mike Piazza hit that Home Run. Did that offer a buoyancy to the atmosphere . Could you feel a moment of healing with that Home Run . Well, there was definitely a change of mood, you know, we went there, everyone, the fans and the players, and the umpires and the broad casters with great tepdation. Were we doing the right thing . Were we going to be a target for the bad guys . Was the game going to actually continue and go on . And there was Fear And Sorrow and sadness at the beginning of the Game And Uncertainty during the game. But when mike hit that Home Run it was such a resounding sound and such a climactic time in the game that the mood changed. And i dont know if it began the healing, but i can tell you for sure that it changed the entire mood of 40,000 people, those in uniform that you could see here, who were wondering how to act the entire game. The opposition, the atlanta braves wondering why did they fly up and put themselves in Harms Way, just a few miles from the airport, in for all the fans and families and people of america who had a chance to just change their mood from one of Solace And Sadness and confusion to unity and elation. And it was a special moment. You talk about, you know, the mood there in the stadium, but how much do you feel the decision to get back on that field rallied new yorkers and frankly all americans . Well, i think it rallied everyone for sure because it gave people not necessarily a Threehour Window in their day where they could have joy, but a Threehour Window where they could have something other than the misery that they were dealing with and the fear that they were dealing with on an everyday, every minute basis. They could get away and be less miserable and be less frightened. And i think that Sport And Entertainment was such a great tool in the healing process. And bobby, so many people, of course, see what you guys did on that September 20th day with the game that brought unity but they also dont know that you personally visited this site after 9 11, and that you also reached out to many Family Members who had lost young ones. I remember reading about Tracy Gallagher in stanford where youre running for mayor, by the way, talking about how you mentored her son who had lost someone. You really took this personally. Yeah, it was a call to action. Theres no doubt about it. When i when i heard our commander in chief say that well never forget, when i went to Ground Zero, and i looked in the eyes of the people who were racing against time. You have to understand, they werent just there moving Dirt And Steel and glass around. They were trying frantically to get to a survivor before the survivor became a victim. And, you know, that was so inspiring to see those thousands of people who were racing against time to do something really special that i felt i had to put my act in Gear And Touch as many people as possible. And i ran out of time. I couldnt touch as many as i wanted to, but i think a lot of those that i did come in contact with got a good feel from our association. Hey, bobby, lets look ahead to tonight. I know youre throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, youll be throwing it out to former new York Yankees manager Joe Torre before the mets will be hosting at citi field. Its got to be meaningful and emotional for you. Whats going through your mind . We decided we needed to incorporate first responders in that first pitch. So joe and i will both throw out the first pitches, hopefully simultaneously and hopefully theyll get to the first responders who will be catching the pitch for us. Im going to see a lot of players i havent seen for a long time. Im sure im going to see people whose lives were affected at that time. Its going to be a feeling of sadness, of gratitude for all the work that people put in, and of hope that maybe the feeling that we had on that day of unity could start to creep back in to the minds and hearts of the people around our country so that we could unify our effort in beating this Terrorist Attack of the virus that has attacked our country, and were still so confused on how to beat it. Well, bobby, were so appreciative of you being here, appreciate all the work you did. Who do you have for the game tonight, by the way . The mets need three in a row to get to the playoffs, hopefully Todays Number two. I came here in the early 80s as a mets fan, you know the pain i endured. Used to be a cubs fan, even more painful. Bobby valentine, glad youre here. Thank you. And thank you, everybody, for joining us as we remember September 11th, 20 years later, Im Kendis Gibson. And im lindsey reiser. Kendis and i will see you back here Tomorrow Morning starting 6 00 a. M. Eastern. Im Alex Witt, join me again at 2 00 p. M. Eastern. Meantime, Hallie Jackson and Andrea Mitchell pick up our Special Coverage from the pentagon right after this break here on msnbc. Its velveeta versus the other guys. Clearly, nothing melts like velveeta. Ice t, Stone Cold calling on everyone to turn to cold washing with tide. Like velveeta. This is a cold call hello, my name is ice t. Can you spare a few seconds to learn about cold Water Washing with tide . Hi my name is steve. Did you know washing in cold can save you 100 a year on your energy bill. Why wouldnt you turn to cold . It helps the environment. What . Because Stone Cold said so. Plus, tide cleans great in cold. This was a cold call vo at tmobile for business, unconventional thinking means we see things differently, so you can focus on what matters most. Whether its ensuring food arrives as fresh as when it departs. Being first on the scene, when every second counts. Or teaching biology without a lab. We are the leader in 5g. 1 in customer satisfaction. And a partner who includes 5g in every plan, so you get it all. Without tradeoffs. Unconventional thinking. Its better for business. Good morning, and welcome to our continuing coverage of 9 11, the 20th Anniversary. Im Andrea Mitchell with Hallie Jackson at the pentagon. We are here, of course, to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Terror Attack on this site on this day, 20 years ago, and the ceremonies began with a flag raising to commemorate that. The day that hijackers crashed a plane into the building behind us. Actually, on the opposite side of the building. A Moment Of Silence will mark when that happened, 9 37 a. M. , honoring the 184 lives lost that day. And new York City, of course, a live look at the 9 11 memorial. In about an hour, a Moment Of Silence there, marking the first attack on america at 8 46, a hijacked plane striking the World Trade Centers. The North Tower that morning in 2001, a second plane striking the World Trade Centers South Tower at 9 03. And in a field in Southwest Pennsylvania another ceremony to mark the heroes on the fourth plane who fought back against the hijackers on board, flight 93, apparently intended for the u. S. Capitol building, ultimately crashing in a field in shanksville at 10 03 that morning. And cascading into americas longest war that officially ended only two weeks ago in afghanistan. This image of the last soldier leaving that country with the final chapters there, of course, still to be written. It is a solemn day here, andrea, and i Cant Help but think, blue skies, cool weather, its almost like that day 20 years ago here in washington, d. C. Calm skies. Nobody had any idea what was about to happen. And when we first saw the plane strike, the first plane strike, of course we all the President Of The United States thought that it was a small private plane. There had been terrible accidents like that before. None of us realized, ochk, until the second plane at 9 03 tom and mike memly. Mike, i know youre covering the president s activities today, then Senator Joe Biden was traveling, i believe, from wilmington down here to washington, after the planes hit he actually spoke at one point with then president george w. Bush, given that Senator Biden was one of the few people on tv. Talk about what his plans are for the day. We know hell be at all three sites. It was then Senator Joe Biden who was on an Amtrak Train heading to washington for the Days Business in the senate when he spoke with his wife who actually described as she was watching television the striking of the second plane into the second World Trade Center tower and of course biden, a senator on 9 11 has been in public office for most of the 19 anniversaries since then, eight as the Vice President , last year as a candidate for president , in new york and in Shanksville And Today for the first time marking this anniversary as President Of The United States but of course he also brings to this day his experience with personal tragedy, the loss suddenly of his Wife And Infant daughter in 1972. And then in 2015 the death of his eldest son beau. Its the merging of those two roles as the sort of symbol for the american People Today as the head of state where hell participate in ceremonies in new york and shanksville and in pentagon but also that personal experience as somebody whos experienced this loss where he will meet with families, we expect, at each of those locations. Now, its notable, as i said, he will atnd these events but he will not speak at them. The White House is saying his Role Today is really to be that symbol for the country. But we did hear from the president Last Night in a taped address in which he talked about the importance of this day and one of the lessons of 9 11 which was unity. Take a listen to some of those remarks. We saw a national unity bend. We learned that unity is the one thing that must never break. Unity is what makes us who we are. America at its best. To me, thats the central lesson of September 11th. Its that at our most vulnerable, in the Push And Pull of all that makes us human, and the battle for the soul of america, unity is our greatest strength. Reporter well also hear from Vice President Kamala Harris, shell deliver remarks in Shanksville Today before joining the president at the pentagon. Well also see president clinton, President Obama, and perhaps at some point today President Trump who has also released a Video Message himself today, Tom Llamas in shanksvil walk us through what to expect there at that memorial for those heroic passengers on Board Flight 93. Thats right. Theyre expecting the largest crowd ever here at the flight 93 memorial. Up to 500 people. Were expected to hear from president george w. Bush. Delivering the Keynote Address will be Vice President Kamala Harris and later today President Biden and the First Lady will pay their first respect. People are trickling in you to. These are the family and friends of those victims from flight 93. This is an incredible memorial. Over the last 20 years theyve been building up to this moment. You have to understand, this plane went down in a rural part of pennsylvania near shanksville. They had to build roads to get out here. They built this beautiful memorial. Ill ask our photographer to zoom in here on what they call the wall of names behind us. These are white marble pillars. There are 40 of them. They represent the passengers and crew on Board Flight 93. On each pillar there is a name. In front of those pillars are lanterns, flowers or American Flags. These are the heroes of flight 93. People come here, they touch the wall, they touch the names. Some walk away with tears. We had a Chance Yesterday to be here with relatives. They were talking about how proud they are of this memorial but also this Family Members. This wall follows the flight of 93 before it crashed. They say they want to educate the world about what their Loved Ones did. There is no doubt the people on Board Flight 93 are the heroes. They were telling family, friends, operators that they were trying to overtake the hijackers before that plane was heading to washington, d. C. Where you are. Many people estimate the passengers and crew of flight 93 probably rescued thousands of people by crashing the plane here. At one point one relative said the War On Terror started on 9 11, but the first u. S. Warriors to die in that War On Terror were the passengers and crew of flight 93 because they took on the terrorists, they took on the hijackers and they gave their lives for this country. We should never forget that. We are looking forward to a day to mark and remember these heroes and talk about them and the lives they led. When you do the research and you read with these people, husbands, mothers, some dads that were just jumping on flights to get to their families earlier. You jump on an earlier flight, so many people do that. So many were trying to get to their families earlier in san francisco. Incredible stories, incredible people. We hope today is an incredible moment for the families. The youngest person on board, just a toddler. So chilling to think about 20 years later. We know about that flight and what happened because of a 14minute Call from beamer to someone todd beamer, yeah. The famous call. His famous phrase lets roll. Two words that have gone down in history. Quickly here and we want to get back to mike. Can you tell us more about the conversations you had with people on this day . Every anniversary, every year since 9 11, people have stopped to remember these names. But for some people they are reliving it even 20 years later. You have to think that grief is so raw even 20 years later. It is. Its tough to talk about what happened on the plane and what happened. One thing they stress a lot, i heard this from multiple Family Members is education. They want children and students to come out here and be educated because they dont want people to forget. In our society with social media and how fast things move, we tend to forget and not just pause and remember. They want to make sure people remember and understand. Not to lose the magnitude of the moment. Before 9 11, we never knew of hijackers taking over planes and using them as missiles. Yet these people did this. One relative told me, you know, what would you do in that moment . Think about what you would have done in that moment . We know what our Family Members did. Powerful stuff. That is, indeed, powerful. Tom llamas and mike memoli, thank you very much. Joining us now, jeremy bash, msnbcs national Security Correspondent and nicholas fitzsmusen. Its the 20th Anniversary and the taliban is back in charge in afghanistan. The 9 11 report said it was a failure of imagination, a failure of capability, policy and management. Those are the four factors. Imagination because nobody thought that a hijacked plane could become a bomb. We dismantled bombs, had hijackings overseas. So what do we see now as Al Qaeda is definitely in place with the taliban again in afghanistan . What are we not imagining . It was a failure of imagination, not just because of the tactics used but because of no one thought a transnational terrorist organization could hit us here in the homeland and certainly not on a catastrophic scale the way it happened. 20 years later, that is the challenge for the Intelligence Community. Thinking ahead. How has the landscape changed . How do we look over the horizon and determine how this threat continues to morph and change and evolve . Its a constant effort to stay ahead of the adversary. Its hard to do that when youre pulled in A Million different directions on a daily basis. We know terrorism is not the only national Security Challenge and problem we face. Were dealing with russia, china, iran, income north korea. I have a lot of sympathy for my colleagues who deal with these issues on a daily basis. One thing that came about in the 9 11 commission and after the postattacks, it was the failure to share intelligence in a smooth and cohesive way. We saw this in the January 6th attack. There was a different but similar lack of sharing intelligence across different agencies. How much further do we have to go on this front . How much more is the threat 20 years later coming from domestic terrorism and extreme terrorism. The 9 11 report, it demonstrated how the cia was tracking people over the seas, the fbi was tracking people, but they were not collaborating. There is one Intelligence Czar now. That was established in 2004. Here sitting here today, can we say thats been fully realized . Its come a long way. Weve made a lot of progress. Weve gone after the leadership of Al Qaeda. We decimated their leadership and taken out Bin Laden, but there are intelligence challenges that remain, that terrorists are plotting. If they were communicating inside the united states, i dont know that we could track every single plot. Jeremy you would so deeply involved ten years ago tracking Bin Laden for years and years at the cia and the pentagon. How does it feel for you and nick to have the u. S. Dealing with the taliban, having to deal with them to get out our translators and those we left behind . It causes everybody in the building behind us, which, by the way, is hallowed ground. 125 pentagon employees showed up here 20 years ago to do the work and missions we were talking about and they were killed by this horrific attack. They are resolved in the building behind us and in the Intelligence Community up the road. They know the terrorist threat remains. Some people forgot about it over the last 20 years. But we know what its establishing a Safe Haven in afghanistan or probably more likely in syria, in yemen, across the middle east, we have terrorists and people who would do us harm. We have to stay on the offense with an over the Horizon Capability . How do you do that from 1,200 miles away in doha . You do it less well and effectively. Of course every american is glad to see our troops come home safe and sound and shrink our overseas footprint and bring americans home from Harms Way but it will put us in a position where we know less about the conflict zones that jeremy was talking about. When you know less, you run the risk of being surprised. We have terrific operators in all of those conflict zones trying to gather intelligence, but its a constant effort to stay ahead of the adversary. Often you end up being surprised and you end up having to respond in ways aggressively when theres a threat moving very quickly that you have to get ahead of. Thank you very much. On a day thats so important to so many people in this building and in this city and around the country. Well be back in just a bit. We want to let you know, Brian Williams and Nicolle Wallace will continue our special live coverage after the break. Good morning from Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan on this September 11th. A clear, stunningly beautiful start to a somber day. So much like that unforgettable morning 20 years ago today that left a hole in the earth here and changed our world forever. Brian williams here with you along with Nicolle Wallace in the