September 11, 2001: We Remember. We Honor. We Will Never Forget.

Twenty-five years later, we pause to remember the lives lost, honor the heroes who served, and reflect on the unity and courage America showed in the days following September 11, 2001.

September 11, 2001, is a day forever etched into the heart of America.

On that September morning, nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives in terrorist attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

They were mothers and fathers. Husbands and wives. Sons and daughters. Friends, coworkers, neighbors, firefighters, police officers, paramedics, military personnel, and ordinary Americans simply going about their lives.

Today, we remember every one of them.

We Remember the Heroes

In the darkest moments of September 11, Americans witnessed extraordinary courage.

Firefighters climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center towers while thousands of others were trying to escape.

Police officers, paramedics, medical personnel, and ordinary citizens ran toward danger to help people they had never met.

At the Pentagon, military and civilian personnel rushed to help the injured.

And aboard Flight 93, passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers. Their courage prevented the aircraft from reaching its intended target, although it cost them their lives.

These acts of bravery remind us what service and sacrifice truly mean.

We Remember a Nation United

Those of us who lived through September 11 remember the shock, fear, sadness, and uncertainty of that day.

But we also remember what happened afterward.

Americans came together.

Neighbors helped neighbors. American flags appeared on homes and businesses throughout the country. Communities gathered for candlelight vigils and prayer services. People donated blood, volunteered, and asked a simple question:

“How can I help?”

For a time, the things that divided us seemed much less important than the things that united us.

We were Americans.

We Honor Those Who Answered the Call

September 11 also began a new chapter of service and sacrifice for America's military families.

Thousands of Americans answered the call to serve our country in the years that followed. Service members deployed around the world, often repeatedly, while spouses, children, parents, and loved ones carried their own share of the burden here at home.

For a community like Greater San Antonio, proudly known as Military City USA, that sacrifice carries a particularly deep meaning.

Our community is home to generations of veterans, active-duty service members, first responders, and families who understand that service is more than a word.

It is a commitment.

Twenty-Five Years Later — Never Forget

A quarter century has now passed since that September morning.

A generation of Americans has grown up with no personal memory of September 11, 2001.

That makes remembering even more important.

We must continue telling the stories of those we lost.

We must teach younger generations about the firefighters and police officers who climbed those stairs, the first responders who searched through the rubble, the passengers of Flight 93 who fought back, the military members who answered the call, and the countless Americans who quietly helped one another.

History should remember not only what was done to America that day, but also how Americans responded.

In Remembrance

Today, we pause.

We remember the nearly 3,000 lives taken too soon.

We remember the first responders who ran toward danger.

We remember those who later lost their lives or suffered illnesses connected to their service at Ground Zero and other attack sites.

We remember the military members and their families who sacrificed in the years that followed.

And we remember what it felt like when Americans stood together as one nation.

May we never lose sight of that spirit.

Frequently Asked Questions About September 11

What happened on September 11, 2001?

On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, one struck the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers.

How many people were killed in the September 11 attacks?

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon, and aboard the four hijacked aircraft.

Why is September 11 called Patriot Day?

Patriot Day is observed each September 11 in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the attacks and in recognition of the courage and sacrifice demonstrated by first responders and ordinary Americans.

Why is September 11 remembrance still important?

September 11 remembrance honors the lives that were lost, recognizes the courage of first responders and others who served, preserves the history of the attacks for future generations, and remembers the unity Americans demonstrated afterward.