as he turned to walk away i said you should come too. he said you want both of us? you're both good friends. we've been friends all these years. and just couple to couple. yeah, that would be great. think about that. he said i will. and they did. and that's just a great honor to have them both out. they've been just good friends of ours for all these years. bill and hillary have provided i think great leadership for our country in the past and in their respective ways. i served on the can he in the snath under ted kennedy with hillary clinton all the time she was in the senate. we had great working relationships in the snath. i think she just did an outstanding job as our secretary of state. in fact, as we traveled around the world the last two years, the just amazing how stature that hillary clinton globally among women and girls all over this globe. he has kind of let, lit a fire among women and girls around the world. in hey're just holder her high esteem. >> they're all expected to speak at the 37th annual steak fry. this is about 45 minutes. ladies and gentlemen, please elcome our honored guests. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives the honorable john boehner. >> ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the united states capitol. tomorrow at 8:46 a.m., the capitol will join the nation in a moment of silent tribute to those we lost on september 11, 2001. it is one of many such moments, silent or otherwise. they come by instinct now. we stand taller for the colors, the hand is steadier on the heart, a prayer is felt, not just said and we pull together when we might not have done so before. this is the response of a people who share a stubborn belief in each other. it's a search to grasp whatever it was in the character of those men and women who, eaving life at its peak, thought of others before hemselves. tomorrow we mourn for what was taken from us. today we consider what was left behind, stories we tell and retell, a legacy we strive to claim and families that we ache to serve. many of those loved ones are with us today, and please join me in welcoming them to our ceremony. [applause] all that we americans are and all we will ever be, we owe to the fallen heroes of 9/11. that day was made up of many sacrifices from which emerged one's spirit, a unity embodied in the medal we entrust today to each member. since the earliest days, congress has awarded gold medals in recognition of extraordinary deeds. among the first recipients were george washington, john paul jones, andrew jackson, and till this day there is no higher onor that we can bestow. this is the first time the medal has been given in honor of so many fallen innocents and we pray it is the last time. that, more than anything, is why we do this, because the most stiring lasting tribute of all is for we who remain never to forget and never to rest until our work is done. thank you, all, for being here today. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of the colors by the united states armed forces colored guard, the singing of our in an anthem and the retiring of the colors. >> halt. >> o say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched were so allantly streaming and the ockets' red glare the bombs ursting in air gave proof hrough the night that our flag as still there o say does that tar-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as the chaplain of the united states house of representatives, the reverend patrick conroy, gives the nvocation. >> let us pray. loving and gracious creator of us all, we give you thanks for giving us this day and so many days since that moment as one 13 years ago. bless all of us who are gathered here. send your spirit of peace and consolation as we recall a tragic day when so many innocent souls were called into your presence and so many others began lives filled with sorrow and mourning. today we remember them all and in a special way the men and women who died while responding o that national tragedy. we thank you for their courage and self-sacrifice while assisting those traumatized and struggling to survive the violent assault perpetrated on that day. may they rest in peace and may those who mourn their loss be in some small way consoled by this honor bestowed by congress. we implore you, o god, to send your spirit upon all your children. though so many suffer from acts of terror throughout our world and from various perpetrators, some of whom presume to act according to your will, we seem unable to learn how to love one another and come together to bring what families throughout our world want -- peace, health and safe homes for their hildren. may our gathering today be a call to us all, to work toward a better world and bring some comfort to those who were so personally harmed that violent day 13 years ago by the loss of their loved ones, the fallen heroes of 9/11. may we always be mindful that you, our god, and may all we do be for your greater honor and glory. amen. >> please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, united states representative from the ninth district of pennsylvania, the honorable william shuster. [applause] >> thank you. good morning. it is truly an honor to be with you here this morning as we present the congressional gold medal to the three memorial sites in honor of the heroes of 9/11. i represent shanksville, pennsylvania, the area where flight 93 went down, and more importantly, where the first counterattack on the war on terrorism occurred. it's been an honor for me to work closely with the families of flight 93 over the past several years on key initiatives, including funding the flight 93 national memorial and awarding the 9/11 heroes a conled gold medal today. these congressional gold medals are an honor, in honor of the heroes that perished on 9/11 and will be displayed at each of the memorial sites. the tragic deaths at the world trade center, at the pentagon and in western pennsylvania on september 11, 2001, have forever changed our nation. the officers, emergency workers and other employees, the state and local government agencies, including the port authority of new york and new jersey, and the united states government and others who responded to the attacks on the world trade center in new york city and perished as a result of the tragic events of september 11, 2001, took heroic and noble action on that day. the first responders to the attack of the pentagon took heroic and noble action to evacuate the premises and prevent further casualties of pentagon employees. the passengers and the crew of the united airlines flight 93 recognized the imminent danger that their aircraft poised, took selfless and heroic action to ensure that the aircraft could not be used as a weapon. by giving the ultimate sacrifice that day, those heroes saved the lives of countless men and women, american institutions and symbols of american democracy and most likely the building we are standing in today, the u.s. capitol. the united states congress is honored by this opportunity to further pay tribute to the heroic men and women by officially recognizing those who lost their lives that faithful day. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states senator from pennsylvania, the honorable robert casey. [applause] >> thank you very much, mr. speaker, majority leader reid, leader pelosi, leader mcconnell, ladies and gentlemen and especially the families of flight 93. like congressman shuster, i'm honored to be here today as a representative of the commonwealth of pennsylvania. we gather today to both pay tribute to and i believe to draw inspiration from what those passengers did on a bright sunny day, flying through pennsylvania facing the darkness and the horror that they were confronted with. in addition to paying tribute to them and drawing inspiration, we also express gratitude today, gratitude for what they did to save the lives in this building, this city and of course what they did for america. we also want to express gratitude to the families for what they've done since that horrible day to make sure we never forget the contribution of their family members, to our own national security and i believe to our own destiny. i think if i went to everyone in this room today, we would have one sentiment in common, not just gratitude and sorrow and expressing condolence but also i think we would have a federal reservent hope that each of these -- fervent hope that each of these passengers could be here so we could shake their hands and present them wet medals we are presenting here today. we cannot do that. the substitute, of course, is what we can do to pay tribute to their families, pay tribute to them through their families. on a day like today, we reach and research for scripture in other ways to remember the contribution and seek inspiration. i'm recalling the words from part of the lyrics from "america the beautiful. the one line, o beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years. in that moment of horror, those passengers, people that didn't have training in national security or law enforcement or dealing with the horror of terrorism, they understood that patriot drome and they acted on that dream because they could indeed see beyond the years, what their actions would mean that day and what their actions would mean for america. so let us today draw inspiration from what they did and let us today recommit ourselves to making sure that we're doing all we can to remember that patriot dream and to always see beyond the years. may god bless them and god bless their families. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states army band and horus. > god bless america land that i love stand beside her and guide her through the night with the life from above from the mountains to the prairies o the oceans white with foam god bless america my home sweet home god bless america my home sweet home god bless america land that i love tand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above from the mountains, to the prairies to the oceans, white with foam god bless america, my home sweet home god bless america, my home sweet home >> ladies and gentlemen, democratic leader of the united states house of representatives, the honorable nancy pelosi. >> good morning. when we did this in memory of 9/11, we thread on sacred ground. 13 years ago the world watched on a clear tuesday morning as we suffered loss we could not possibly have imagined and witnessed heroism we will never forget. today, we come together once more in reverence to those sacred memories, to help consecrate those sacred places where so many lives were lost and so many were saved. we're honored to have the secretary of the interior here, representative hoyer, president of the firefighters, my fire chief from california, so many distinguished guests who have sacrificed so much for our country, including max cleeland. it's so nice to be here with senator casey and representative shuster, the representatives of one of the areas so affected and with our speaker, mr. boehner. thank you for making this occasion possible, mr. speaker, and with leader reid. leader mcconnell. i think we will all agree that as many ceremonies that we may participate in, this is singular in terms of how deeply rooted our sorrow is and how broad our respect is for our eroes. again, in the very center of our democracy in this capitol, we bestow these congressional gold medals to our memorials in new york, in pennsylvania and across the potomac as the sign of the never-ending commitment of the heroes of that day today we present those medals to the president, joseph daniels of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york in recognition of the men and women who rushed up the stairs and into the smoke among many other acts of heroism. to gordon, president of families of flight 93 and recognition of passenger and crew who -- passengers and crew who charged up the aisle. to james, president of the pentagon memorial fund in recognition of those serving our country. with these medals, we honor the heroism of the first responders and ordinary citizens. we celebrate them in that capacity but also we remember them as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, families and friends. we remember the perseverance of the loved ones they left behind and the advocacy of the 9/11 families who turned their grief into action to make our nation safer. as senator casey referenced. president lincoln once cautioned of the silent artillery of time wearing away our memories. we pray that the years might ease the pain of the bereefed but never let time -- berieved but never let time lessen. because of their acts and deeds of millions of americans, we found hope in the face of despair, strength in the wake of fear, unity in the shadow of loss. today, we renew our vow time shall not dim the memory of our fallen heroes. their courage add luster to these awards, for we know their deeds will shine forever. let their lives be a blessing to their beloved. let them inspire greater compassion and humanity, let us resolve in their name that this date marked by terror will belong to bravery. god has truly blessed america with our fallen heroes of 9/11. may god continue to bless the united states of america. thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen, the republican leader of the united states senate, the honorable mitch mcconnell. [applause] >> none of us will forget where we were that morning or the horrible things we saw. the explosions that melted steel and shattered symbols of our prosperity and our might. tools of commerce and transport used for brutal and homicidal nds, the people, the loss, the espair, these things we have never been able to forget. and yet that's not all we saw on that saddest of september mornings. amid the horror and the tragedy there was something else, something more powerful. in the heart of a great city, strangers rushed to help strangers sprinting toward smoke and chaos, ignoring the danger to themselves. we heard stories of heroes returning once more to the swirling tempest of paper and glass, searching for others to help. at the edge of the nation's capitol, colleagues became comrades reaching amid the lames and confusion. and high above the clouds, stories of bravery and revolt, courage that did more than just save buildings like this one or the ideals it represents but countless lives. these are the 9/11 fallen heroes. first responders, civilians, passengers and crew and so many thers. they did not ask to be heroes. they did not wake that day with dreams of glory. but when history intervened, they acted. and unlike the hijackers who plotted to take lives, those heroes sacrificed to save them. the thousands of men and women who perished on september 11 did not die in vain. their memories served and still serves as a unifying force for our nation. whether by the inspiration of our their bravery or the brutal way their lives were taken, their memories stirred americans to even more acts of selflessness from joining rescue efforts to raising their hands in defense of freedom. in manhattan and shanksville and at the pentagon, we've erected memorials to honor them. and today with these three medals we commemorate every man, every woman who perished that day with the highest civilian award that congress an bestow. to the families gathered here, i know the wounds can never truly be healed, but never forget that your country stands with you and that we will never stop honoring the memory of the heroes we remember today. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the majority leader of the united states senate, the honorable harry reid. [applause] >> senator mcconnell mentioned we all remember where we were that morning. i remember. i was assistant leader. leader daschle called a leadership meeting we had every tuesday at 9:00 in the morning. i was the first to come to that room, s-211, and john came in, senator from louisiana, said turn on the tv. something is going on in new york. we flipped on the tv and we said, what happened? plane must have been misguided in the building. and we thought it was just a news story. this it wouldn't amount to much. and so people started coming in for the meeting. conference table there in that room, s-211, and senator daschle started the meeting. within just a short period of time, matter of five minutes, six minutes, couple people came into the room, took him out of the room and he came back immediately and said we got to evacuate this room, the building. there's a plane headed for us. as i walked out of that, i'll never forget as i walked out of the room, look out the window, we could see the smoke billoing from the pentagon. -- billowing from the pentagon. that's the day i'll never forget. we were all very anxious and afraid that day, concerned about what we didn't know, afraid of what we did know. the day ended with everyone coming back -- senators coming back to the capitol, democrats, republicans and assembled on the capitol steps. without anyone giving speeches, we were there just to dignify the occasion, letting everyone know how much we cared about what we thought had happened. and barbara mikulski, who has such a powerful voice in that small stature she has. she said, we'll sing "god bless america," the same song we heard today. that brought back such memories. and we did. those of us that can't sing sang. those that could sing sang. and it was something we'll always remember. i'll always remember. images of that morning will always stay with me. the shock, the horror, the uncertain i felt that day will be forever etched in my heart. today as we bestow the congressional medal of honor on the fallen heroes of september 11, those memories will be with us. but even in the midst of heartwrenching memories, we're reminded of the heroism that day. ours is a nation started, settled and strengthened by heroes. those who answer the call of duty and those who are called without notice has happened. there were so many who answered that call of duty that day. those souls who answered the call that morning left us with a legacy of bravery we cannot fully fathom, explain. no monument can express our true appreciation. no memorial can convey the magnitude of their courage. our forever gratitude is the only tribute that will suffice. so what we must do is remember their suffice -- sacrifice, the ultimate price they paid for our freedom. i believe the heroism and sacrifice we witnessed on september 11, 2001, will forever be in our hearts, in our minds and in our nation's history. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives, the onorable john boehner. >> in a few minutes, we'll have the presentation of the gold medals. first, let me thank my colleagues for their words and for their leadership. now, when congress approves a gold medal, the work is just beginning. each medal has its own design committee and in this case there were three design committees. the medals were then struck at the u.s. mint in philadelphia, just blocks from independence hall. all in all, they've done remarkable work and we're truly grateful for their efforts. on behalf of the american people, we will now entrust these medals to the memorials, all of which are worthy of the people that we honor today. here to receive the medals, joseph daniels, president and c.e.o. of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york city. gordon felt, president of the families of flight 93. and jim, president of the 9/11 memorial fund. please join me here on the stage. [applause] [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, president and c.e.o. of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york, mr. joseph c. daniels. >> good morning. it's truly an honor to be here today along with jim from the pentagon memorial fund and gordon felt from the flight 93 national memorial in pennsylvania, among members of the cabinet, the joint chiefs, family members of the fallen and our first responders to accept this medal created in memory of those whose lives were taken too soon in the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001. on behalf of the 9/11 memorial and museum's board of directors and staff, i'm truly thankful to the members of congress, many of whom are also here today, and who saw the significance of this medal and championed its production. it is also tremendously gratifying to see the number of senators and representatives that have taken the time to come visit the memorial and museum in new york. i do encourage those who have not yet made that visit to come as well, and you are always welcome. we're also fortunate that several of the memorial's board members who are also 9/11 family members, including lee, who lost his son, firefighter lee, paula grant berry, who lost her husband, david berry, and monica ican, who also lost her husband, michael patrick ican, were part of the design group for this incredible medal, making it a true expression of tribute and of hope from those who were affected the most. the 9/11 memorial, since it was dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, has welcomed over 15 million visitors, and in less than four months since opening, the museum has already welcomed more than 900,000 visitors. those numbers are important because they are a true indication of the collective and worldwide will to never forget. we are honored as an institution to place this congressional gold medal in the 9/11 memorial museum for our visitors from all 50 states and over 175 different countries to see. several members of congress are working to ensure the history of this memorial and museum represent receive ongoing operating support. i know that along with my colleagues from the pentagon and flight 93 memorials, i'm tremendously gratified and grateful to see the millions of americans who are keeping our commitment to remember those killed in the attacks strong. and that we keep in the forefront of our minds and hearts what we saw on 9/11 and in its aftermath, that when the circumstances require, we can and will come together with limitless compassion. in that spirit, i thank you, again, for this wonderful tribute. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, president of the pentagon memorial fund, mr. james laychak. >> thank you, everyone. i'd like to recognize speaker boehner, leader pelosi, leader mcconnell, senator -- house majority -- senate majority leader reid, representative shuster, senator casey, senator warner, senator mccain, congressman moran, joe daniels, gordon felt. and i'd like to recognize the 9/11 families, survivors and first responders here today as well as the representatives of the pentagon memorial fund. and the pentagon memorial fund board members. thank you, speaker boehner, for hosting the ceremony. the staff has done an outstanding job. i'd also like to thank senator warner for allowing and asking the pentagon memorial fund for our recommendations for individuals to serve as advisors to the u.s. mint on the design of the gold medal for the pentagon site. i'd like to especially thank our advisors, 9/11 family member, my sister-in-law, laurie laychak, pentagon survivor and family member, kathy dilber and special agent chris coons, arlington county fire chief jim schwartz for your valuable time and insight that has brought us all here today. 13 years ago, my brother was killed in the pentagon on 9/11, and the family members and our nation made a promise we would never forget. these congressional medals reflect that promise and will help ensure that future generations that visit the three attack sites understand the significance of that promise. the p.m.f. was formed by 9/11 family members in three to help raise the funds needed to -- in 2003 to help raise the funds needed to build the memorial to ensure there's always a place to remember, reflect and renew. dedicated in 2008, the pentagon memorial is a place of solace, where friends and families can always go to remember their loved ones. today we are pleased to be working with the department of defense and the state of virginia for plans for a visitors education center that will ensure those that did not know their loved ones or do not know about 9/11 have a place to reflect on the events of that day. they'll also have the opportunity to learn about survivors and heroes in the pentagon and they'll learn about the response of our government and countries around the world on september 12 when nato invoked article 5 and 23 allied countries helped offer defend the united states. it is in this united and cooperative support that is important today as well as on eptember 11. we believe through these stories of loss, heroism, community and unity, future visitors will leave the pentagon memorial visitor education center with a renewed sense of hope. we look forward to prominently displaying the fallen heroes gold medal at the pentagon visitor education center as a symbol of our nation's commitment to never forget and our renewed hope for the future. thank you for this great honor. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the families of flight 93, mr. gordon w. felt. [applause] >> good morning. ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, speaker boehner, majority leader reid, leader mcconnell, leader pelosi, senator casey, congressman shuster, secretary jewell and those here today that may have been working in this very building 13 years ago, it is an honor to stand before you today to accept the congressional gold medal of honor on behalf of the passengers and crewmembers of united flight 93. the gravity of today's ceremony and location have greatly appreciated by the families of flight 93. on september 11, 2001, the symbolic foundations of our nation came under attack and much was lost. chaos, uncertainty and terror threatened to break our spirit as the scourge of unprecedented evil descended upon our nation. yet, as the world observed one of america's darkest moments and our corresponding response, stories of heroism, extraordinary resolve and american resilience shown brightly, first responders did not run from but rather toward. individuals that lived through these attacks selflessly worked together to survive, and our loved ones on united flight 93, armed with the knowledge that the nation, our nation was under attack, took fate into their hands and fought. in doing so they lost their lives, though in the process most likely saved this very building in which we stand today. were it not for the people honored today with the presentation of these congressional gold medals of honor, our course of human events would be far different. their loss, their sacrifice rekindle the spirit in all freedom-loving peoples of the world that we cannot afford to lose. our job moving forward from september 11, 2001, for these past 13 years and into the future is to remember, remember the individuals, remember their collective actions and remember who we became that fateful morning. on behalf of the families of flight 93, i thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand as the chaplain of the united states senate, dr. barry black, gives the benediction. > let us pray. god, our refuge and strength, we're grateful for this opportunity to honor the fallen heroes of 9/11. thank you, dear god, for people proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life. comfort those who still feel the pain of grief and loss as you teach us to number our days that we may have hearts of isdom. ay exemplary heroism remind us that eternal vigilance remains he high price for freedom. in this dangerous and unstable world, keep us united as one nation under girded by your providence with liberty and justice for all. we pray in your great name, men. >> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated and remain seated for the departure of the official party. >> ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending today's ceremony. have a great day. >> on thursday, ceremonies were held to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the september 11th terrorist attacks at the world trade center's national memorial plaza in new york city family members of victims read the nearly 3,000 names of those who died in the 2001 attacks on the world trade center and the pentagon as well as the crash of flight 93. six moments of silence mark the exact times when planes hit the towers and the pentagon, when each tower fell, and the crash of flight 93 in pennsylvania. this portion of the norks ceremony is about 30 -- new york city sare moan wri is about 30 minutes. see by the you dawn's early light at at so proudly we hailed the twilight's last gleaming ♪ whose broad stripes and perilous s thru the fight o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming glare e rockets red the bombs bursting in air gave roof through the night ♪ that our flag was still there does that "star spangled nner" yet wave o'er the land of the free ♪ and the home of the brave ♪ [applause] [bell tolling] silence] "snl" [back [bagpipes playing] [bagpipes playing] ♪ ]> [names being read victims of s of 9/11] frank. >> and my brother, james joseph kelly. kels, you are forever in our hearts, we miss you every day and love you. >> gary eugene bird. >> joshua david birnbaum. >> george john bishop. >> chris romeo bashuanda. >> jeffly donald bittner. >> albert balews blackman jr. >> christopher joseph black well. >> susan leigh blair. >> harry blanding jr. >> janice lee blaney. >> craig michael blass. >> rita bflt lau. >> richard middleton blood jr. michaelle andrew boccardi. john paul bocchi. michael l.bocchino. susan m.bochino. bruce douglas boehm. >> mary catherine murphy boffa. nicholas andrew bogdan. darren christopher bohan. lawrence francis boisseau. vincent m.boland jr. colin arthur bonnett. >> shawn booker jr. can field d. boone. >> christine bordenabe. >> martin boryczewski. >> richard edward bosco. >> and my brother, best ñrfrie., the nation mourns along with the families for the victims of september 11th. this day should be a day of reflection and remembrance only. god bless all their souls and god bless america. >> and my father, christopher michael grady. i love you and i miss you so much. you will forever be in my heart. [ tolling of bells ] >> carol marie bouchard. >> jay howard boulton. >> thomas harold bowden jr. >> donna m. bowen. >> krim beryl s. bowers. >> veronique nicole bowers. larry low man. shawn edward are bowman. >> gary r. box. >> gennady boyarsky. pamela boyce. pamela boyce. michael boyle. ael friend braca. sandra cofaty brace. kevin hugh backen. david brian brady. alexander braginsky. >> daniel raymond brandhorst. david reed ganboa brandhorst. michelle rene bratton. patrice braut. lydia estelle bravo. ronald michael breitweiser. francis henry brennan. michael e. brennan. daniel j.brethel. >> gary lee bright. >> jonathan eric briley. mark a.brisman. >> gary bristoe. marian r. briton. >> and my brother-in-law, brian joseph murphy. as the great sages taught, it is not in our power to explain either the tranquility of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous. brian, murph, we hold you in our hearts, we think of you often. we love you. >> and my father, john patrick gallagher. dad, even though you're not on this earth anymore, i know you're looking down on us and smiling. i love you and i always will. >> mark francis broderick. >> herman charles broghammer. >> keith a. broomfield. >> ber jarred c. brown ii. >> janice brown. lloyd stanford brown. patrick john brown. pettina b. browne bradburn. >> mark bruce. richard george bruehert. andrew brunn. vincent edward brunton. ronald bucca. brandon j. bu nannen. greg j. buck. dennis buckley. nancy clare bueche. patrick joseph buhse. john edward are bulaga jr. stephen bruce bunin. matthew j. burke. thomas daniel burke. william francis burke jr. charles f. burlingame iii. >> thomas e burnett jr. >> donald j. burns. kathleen ann burns. keith james burns. john patrick burnside. thomas m. butler. patrick dennis birn. timothy g.biyne. jesus cabezas. billian caceres. brian joseph cacia. >> and my husband of 30 years, fdny chief. papa jerry to his grandchildren,'s electric sis, luke, thomas, elena and kate. my heart breaks that you are not here to enjoy them. love each of them from above and keep them safe. may god bless all those who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks on september 11th, 2001, and those who continue to suffer from the aftermath. may god bless all those serving in our fire departments, police departments and emergency services, as well as the military here and abroad. may god bless america and may we never, never forget. >> and my uncle, michael todonio. we all love and miss you every day and we know you are watching over us. >> richard michael caggiano. see seal marella caguicla. john brett cahill. michael john cahill. scott walter cahill. thomas joseph cahill. george c.cain salvadore calabro. joseph m.calandrillo. philip calcagno. edward calderon. kenneth marcus caldwell. dominic enrico calia. felix calixte. francis joseph callahan. liam callahan. susan ma m.calli. roko camaj. michael f. cammarata. david campbell. geoffrey tols campbell. robert arthur campbell. sandra patricia campbell. sean thomas canavan. john a. candela. vincent cangelosi. stephen j. cangialosi. lisa bella cannava. brian cannizzaro. michael canty. louis anthony caporicci. jonathan neff cappello. james christopher cappers. richard michael caproni. jose manuel cardona. dennis m.carey. edward carlino. michael scott carlo. and my only child, my beloved daughter, dominique lisa pandolfo. >> donny, we love and miss you >> president obama, the first lady and vice president biden led a moment of silence thursday morning on the white house south lawn to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the september 11 attacks. [bells tolling] [silence] [playing "taps"] >> from there, president obama attended a ceremony at the pentagon to honor those who died in the september 11 attacks. also delivering remarks were defense secretary chuck hagel and joint chiefs of staff chair general dempsey. this is just over 30 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention on the flag on the pentagon building. the flag hangs from sunrise to sunset in honor of patriot day and in honor of the 184 lives lost at the pentagon. the national anthem of the united states performed by the united states navy brass quintet. plays] [star-spangled banner plays] >> ladies and gentlemen, the nited states army chief of chaplains, major general donald rutherford. >> let us pray together. lord of hope, we have endured over a decade of conflict. we have raised a generation that's never seen a sunrise without war on our national horizon. we look back on the events that brought us to the present, it would be easy to despair. let us not forget we've yet to write the ending on our national story. it would take a moment to look at the day it began, we witnessed the flames of hatred extinguished by acts of valor. we've heard the cries of the lost match with the prayers of the grateful. we live every day with those memories, those whose dreams the darkness left unfulfilled. the concluding hand shake, the last good-bye, and the final kiss. remember those that we lost and we grieve for them, grieve for their families and for ourselves. and we come to remember them as well as those who continue to fight in our frontiers and those who stand watch within our borders at home. we come to remember that those who expected weakness have instead seen strength. those who want a division have instead seen unity. those who sowed seeds of violence and hatred have watched us harvest the fruits of grace and of hope. 13 years ago, the lights of darkness hoped to extinguish still shine today. our hope and resolve and the darkness cannot enter our lives. and we pray this day, amen. amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, 13 years ago today, at 9:37 a.m., the pentagon was attacked. please join us in observing a moment of silence to remember those who perished. moment of silence] >> ladies and gentlemen, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey. >> mr. president, mrs. obama, mr. secretary, distinguished guests, thank you for being here this morning. i want to offer a special welcome to the families and friends of those we lost on these grounds 13 years ago. we know the memorial ceremonies and we know you've been through many are especially tough, emotion-filled moments for you. it takes a great deal of courage to keep coming back here. so thanks for being here. not long ago, i received a note from a mom whose daughter is buried just across the way at arlington cemetery. she said the pain of losing someone you love, even years later, never really goes away. at any instant, a smell or a color or a song or a date on the calendar like today can bring into stark relief the first raw moment when everything changed. she said if there's any secret to grieving it's that there can be room for sorrow and joy, sadness and pride, to exist in the same space at the same time. and she learned that grief is not a lack of faith or sign of weakness, it's a price of ove. today is foremost about reflecting and about remembering and about the love for the 184 lives that ended here at the pentagon and those that perished in new york and s in somerset county. today is about strength and resolve. we found strength in the children who lost parents on 9/11 and who have blossomed into fine young adults and are now making their own mark on their world. we find resolve in the men and women that 9/11 roused to step forward to defend our country, a generation that has served in iraq and afghanistan. and today offers us, all of us, the opportunity to rededicate our own lives to the causes of our great nation. and its great future. for as one of our nation's leaders said, we could easily allow our time and energy to be consumed by the crisis of the moment of the day. but we must also lay the groundwork to help define our future. it's now my privilege to introduce the man who spoke those words and who strives to live them every day, our nation's secretary of defense, chuck hagel. >> general dempsey, thank you. mr. president, mrs. obama, distinguished guests, family members, survivors. we will never forget what happened on this day in this hour in this place, an act of terror that shook the world and took the lives of 184 americans. today we remember those we lost on that day, this day as we are surrounded by those who love them. we celebrate our nation's strength and resilience, surrounded by those who embody it. and we draw inspiration from the ways in which survivors and victims' families continue to honor their legacy. my thoughts also turn to others whose lives were forever changed that day. the first responders and survivors whose heroism and resilience we celebrate. the pentagon personnel who came to work the next day with a greater sense of determination than ever before. and the men and women in uniform who have stepped forward to defend our country over 13 long years of war, bearing incredible sacrifices along with their families. we live in a time of many complicated challenges. but america has always faced challenges. and we have always responded as a nation united in purpose, woven together in a fabric of strong character and resounding commitment to each other, and to our country. to lead our nation in such a defining time requires not only the courage and the vision to lead, but the humility that recognizes this unique privilege. these traits are embodied in our commander in chief. ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united tates. [applause] >> good morning. >> good morning. >> scripture tells us we count as blessed those who have persevered. secretary hagel, general dempsey, members of our armed forces, and most of all, the survivors of that september day and the families of those we lost -- michelle and i are humbled to be with you once again. it's now been 13 years. 13 years since the peace on an american morning was broken. 13 years since nearly 3,000 beautiful lives were taken from us, including 125 men and women serving here at the entagon. 13 years of moments they would have shared with us. 13 years of memories they would have made. here once more, we pray for the souls of those we remember. for you, their families, who love them forever. and for a nation that has been inspired by your example. your determination to carry on, your resolve to live lives orthy of their memories. as americans, we draw strength from you. for your love is the ultimate rebuke to the hatred of those who attacked us that bright blue morning. they sought to do more than bring down buildings or murder our people. they sought to break our spirit. and to prove to the world that their power to destroy was greater than our power to ersevere and to build. but you and america proved them wrong. america endures in the strength of your families who through your anguish kept living. you kept alive love that no act of terror could extinguish. you, your sons, your daughters, are growing into extraordinary young men and women they knew ou could be. by your shining example, your families have turned this day into something that those who attacked us could never abide. that's a tribute of hope over fear and love over hate. america endures in the tenacity of our survivors after grievous wounds you learn to walk again, stand again, after terrible burns, you smiled once more. for you for our nation. these are difficult years. by your presence here today in the lives of service that you led, you know no matter what comes our way, america will lways come out stronger. america endures in the dedication of those who keep us safe -- the firefighter, the officer, the emt who carries the memory of a fallen partner as they report to work each and every day, prepared to make the same sacrifice for us all. because of these men and women, americans now work in a leaming freedom tower. we visit our great cities. we fill our stadiums and cheer for our teams. we carry on because as americans, we do not give in to fear. ver. america endures in the courage of the men and the women who serve under our flag. over more than a decade of war, this 9/11 generation has answered our country's call and three months from now, our combat mission in afghanistan will come to an end. today we honor all who have made the ultimate sacrifice these 13 years, more than 6800 american patriots. and we give thanks to those who served in harm's way to keep our country safe and meet the threats of our time. america endures in the perennial optimism that defines s as a people. beginning tomorrow, there will be teenagers, young adults, who were born after 9/11. it's remarkable. and while these young americans id not know the horrors of that day, their lives have been shaped by all the days since. the time that brought pain but also taught us endurance and strength. the time of rebuilding, of esilience, and of renewal. what gives us hope, what gives me hope, is that these young americans who will shape all of he days to come. 13 years after a small and hateful minds conspiring to break us, america stands tall and america stands proud. and guided by the values that sustain us, we will only grow stronger. generations from now, americans will still fill our parks, our cities, generations from now, americans will build towers that reach for the heavens, still stand for freedom around the world, still wear the uniform and give meaning to those words written two centuries ago. land of the free, home of the brave. generations from now, no matter the trial, no matter the challenge, america will always e america. we count as blessed those who have persevered. may god bless your families who continue to inspire us all. may god bless our armed forces and all who keep us safe, and may god continue to bless the nited states of america. [playing "america the beautiful "] ♪ [playing "america the eautiful"] ♪ [inaudible conversation] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [inaudible conversation] [inaudible conversation] [inaudible conversation] [inaudible conversation] cable satellite corp. 201 ♪ ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] ♪ ♪ ï ¿>> former presidents george w. bush and bill clinton joined forces to launch the leadership scholars program. the event is a partnership between the presidential centers of was, of bush, clinton, george h w bush, and lbj. this is an hour and five minutes. [applause] [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome margaret spellings, president of the george w. bush presidential center. [applause] >> thank you for joining us today. as the announcer said, i am margaret spellings, the president of the bush presidential center in dallas, texas and i am so glad to see so many familiar faces with us for a special announcement. we would like to thank our supporting founders without whom we would not be here. the moody foundation, our friends are sitting on the front row -- is leading the way and their gift is making this possible. they are joined by two other foundations and the representatives from those organizations are with us today. thank you to my partner and best friend bruce lindsey of the clinton foundation and my friend who is the ceo of the library foundation and the chairman of the lbj foundation library board in austin. our national archive partners are led by the affiliated libraries are here with us. and smu, clinton school of public service at the university of arkansas, texas a&m and the university of texas at austin. i am thrilled to launch the presidential leadership scholars program. a partnership between the centers of bush, clinton and bush senior and johnson. president clinton and bush will join us to discuss why the program is important but first a few discussions. i had the opportunity to visit with my friend who is also here today. about an idea for a partnership. when i moved to dallas, i became aware of the powerhouse. of the presidential centers we have in our region. we have four centers and democrats in arkansas. republicans and democrats within close proximity of each other. they tell the story of leaders who led our country. the ssn resources of the centers, i reached out to bruce lindsey. with his support we put our heads together and the presidential's leadership scholarship program was board. -- was born. leadership is and always will be a critical need. that's why i'm excited about. opportunity that lies before us. a program that will train highly motivated people with a track record of leadership from across all sectors and background. business, public sector, non-profit, the military and academia. they will apply the lessons and principles and ideas they learn through the program to the challenges that confront us. the scholars program is unique in the resources it offers. they will learn from the presidents as people who have led through dynamic and complex situations. times change and issues are organic but fundalmmental to the core are the skills that guide them as they set a vision and strategy and motivate strong teams and navigate challenges and make difficult decisions. our curriculum is developed with the best minds in the scholarship of leadership. the leaders from georgetown university and are here with us as well. it will combine communication, persuasion, decision making and coalition building with examples and case studies from the four presedencies. they will gain insight from the former presidents and those who former presidents and those who served with them and develop practical skills they will apply during and after the program. they will learn from leaders in other sectors as well as faculty from the universities affiliated with each center. they will learn from the people at the centers to get the first hand look at the resources of the four museums and libraries with the stories they tell. they will build upon their already proven track record of success to achieve significant and measurable good in their community and future work. they will also bond together and learn from each other as mentors, resources and partners to advance their own personal leadership projects and help each other with the challenges they face. and importantly this program is at no-cost to the participants thanks to supporters. it is now my pleasure to introduce stephanie street the executive director of the clinton administration who will tell you about the leader we are looking for and the esteemed committee that will guide the program. stephanie? [applause] >> thank you, margaret. it has been truly an honor to be here today. and on behalf of the clinton foundation, i would like to thank our partners who have worked alongside us over this past year to turn our shared vision into a pioneering leadership development program. now to echo margaret's sentiments about having new best friends and as the program has taken shape over the year, our teams have met regularly. with the exception of having strong opinions on whether arkansas or texas has better bbq or football our working together has been truly wonderful. let me take the time to recognize our presidential leadership scholars advisory committee. it is comprised of 12 members three aopponenties representing each center. josh bolton and alexis herman is first. [applause] in addition, we have james ciccone, carlos, tom johnson, vilma martinez, stanley kristen , connie newman, linden oleson and laura tyson. and serves as members are bruce and margaret. join me in thanking our full committee. [applause] as you can see we have been lucky to put together a distinguished group of individuals who will advicese on all aspects and help us ensure this program is a state of the art experience. we join together to launch the program because we believe that working together in the spirit of collaboration is truly the best way to chart the path forward. we want to work with and help develop individuals who believe in that same philosophy. and the work of our four centers is evidence that individuals of different backgrounds and perspectives can unite to pursue a common goal. we heard from margaret about the fortunes and objectives but let me set the stage and put the program into greater context. i will start with the curriculum that is being designed by dr. paul, the senior associate dean of executive education at the mcdennis school of business at georgetown university and his colleague at the school dr. michael oleery. they have developed, managed and taught in numerous top tier executive leadership programs for many years and are incorporating the best of what they learned into the design of this program. our leadership scholars can look forward to a variety of experiences including lectures, group discussions, debates, and case analysis. during the session they will have opportunities to hear from world class academics, military and private and non-profit sectors and key advisors from the presidential administrations. scholars will also explore critical moments of presidential leadership and take a deep dive into the presidential library resources relevant to those moments. and there will be a number of collective learning activities designed to give our leaders in any sector the practical skills they need to drive solution-oriented action. i want to tough on scholars briefly. we are being intentional seeking those with significant work or professional experience who have demonstrated a record of leadership and a clear impact on their communities. and most importantly we are looking for leaders from every sector who have decided they want to strengthen their leadership skills to have an even bigger impact. and we look forward to the committed group of alumni scholars which will grow year after year and become a significant force for positive change. at the clinton foundation, we have seen how presidential leadership has translated into success at a global non-profit. as a result of president clinton's cooperation, a new model of leadership has emerged. ceo's who consider social good to be part of their bottom line. people that know business oriented solutions help them reach their goals faster. and innovative partnerships that bring together organizations are different philosophys and backgrounds and objectives and asking them to work work together to solve the same issues is a potent force that leadership. the approach that we bring to the table as we join with build a future where cooperation triumphs [applause] >> i don't think anybody can be fully prepared for the moment when you are getting a briefing on a national security issue and everybody turns to the president and says what are we going to do, mr. president? >> our greatest responsibility is to embrace a spirit of community. people.ower to help but one just use of power. it is to serve people. >> we are all fellow passengers on a dot of earth, and each of us has really only a moment leap moment. leadership isn't about you. it is making sure as a leader you are doing what leadership might require. even though your own personality and nature might make you wish you were somewhere else but you are not. i cannot think of a president who didn't embody that and that is what this particular presidential foundation initiative is about. >> this program of the presidential leadership scholar program and the objective was to use the experience of the presidents so that people who really want to make a difference of the world could learn from them and form a community and contribute to society. >> lbj respected public service above all and realized the need for great leaders in this country. he recognized the great leadership qualities in clinton and the two bush presidents. young leaders are coming in to learn lessons from the presidents in order to shape a better america. >> this is a program targeted at people who demonstrated capability in leadership and a desire and passion for applying their skills to some public good. >> whether it is private business or work for their local government or state agencies or are involved in a non-profit or in the military. we are not looking for people that share the same perspective on issues. >> there are unique aspects of the program. it is four presidents. we have access to the presidents themselves, members of that administration, people who came into the contact with them and that is material from which we can learn >> this is a wonderful vehicle inspiring the next generation of lead leaders committed to social justice and good. >> the same skill sets necessary to succeed in government, business, or ngo are the same. there is a big premium on motivating others, selling others, and getting buy-ins from others. >> these are human beings are lots of positive attributes that deal with significant amounts of challenges and faced a lot of uncertainty but make decisions and motivate others when they are feeling down and crushed themselves. >> if you want to make a difference you will have to go through that. >> the tough decisions are not the black and white ones. they are the ones that get into shades of gray. >> each individual leader needs to find his or her niche and use what skills they have to affect the outcomes they are trying to achieve. so we hope to give them the tools with the program to be able to decide on the shades of gray. >> i think any time a president is dealing with a crisis they are dealing with an enormous amount of uncertainty. you have to be willing to live through the discomfortable of having everybody against you because you are doing something that is either difficult or hard for people to understand. >> we have something unique in a program that pairs four presidential centers together and really tells the story of very telling issues and it makes sense they come together and steward the next generation of young inclined americans. who better to nurture young leaders than leaders themselves. >> our faith as a nation and our future as a people rest not upon one citizen but upon all citizens. we have the opportunity to forge a new world order. >> one of the guiding principles of my presidency was to who much is given much is required. i believe we have an obligation in america with life of service till the end. >> what should our shared values be? everybody deserves a chance. everybody has a responsibility to fulfill. we all do better when we work together. [applause] >> please welcome the cochair of the leadership committee and the chariman of the presidential leadership committee and former budget and staff director under george w. bush and current manager of rock creek global advisors. >> good morning. it is an honor to be here and co-chair this important and timely program. today we do a good thing for our country and for our world. i must say that to you, president clinton and president bush, i thank you for your insight and foresight and your commitment to inspire a new generation of leaders and help them better understand what it means to collaborate, communicate and define common ground even if they don't agree on the basic issues. i have always believed that leaders are not born. they are made and they are shaped by their environment, by the people that they meet, and by the events they encounter. i believe that the work that we will do through this initiative will help repel them even further on their higher path of giving back to their country and develop them into greater leaders for the future. i am delighted to have the opportunity to be working with josh bolton on this initiative and for all of the distinguished members of the advisory committee. i believe that i speak for you josh and for all of the committee members when i say that we recognize that this isn't about the art of the easy. but it is about the art of the possible. i look forward to foster in the great possibilities i know the presidential scholarship holds for the future. thank you. >> thank you, alexis for the kind words. ladies and gentlemen, join me in welcoming the 42nd and 43rd presidents of the united states. [applause] [applause] before i have a chance to ask you questions, i have a letter that arrived from walkers point. september 8th, 2014. i am delighted to send greeting to those gathered in washington, d.c. for the launch of a partnership between the presidential leader scholar programs. every former president is different. and that is as it should be. for example, not all of us sky dive. [laughter] that is not a judgmental comment. just a fact. every so often there is an idea that is so compelling it brings together former chief executives to push it forward. so it is with this program and offer people to study decisions and learn from key administrations and practitioners and leading academics. we face a lot of challenges in and out of government so the idea of developing more leaders from all walks of life to address them and help move the nation forward is vitally important in my view. thank you for being here. and ask the two distinguished gentlemen to keep it brief. signed george bush. [applause] >> i understand president bush is watching so i know from everybody in this room today we send greetings, respect and salutations. that gentlemen, the letter i just read from 41 mentions the uniqueness of having these four presidential centers come together. in fact, i think this is the first collaboration ever among presidential centers in an ongoing initiative. why did you decide to do this as a collaboration and why did you pick leadership as the theme? president bush? >> because.

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