In brief
As the 25th anniversary of the September‑11 attacks passes, America’s current and former presidents convened at two national memorials. President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the Pentagon, while Vice‑President JD Vance and all living former presidents attended a ceremony at the World Trade Center site. The day featured moments of silence, the reading of nearly 3,000 names, and the Tribute in Light, a reminder that the nation must never forget the tragedy. The commemorations also spread overseas, with services held in London, Toronto and Milan and a thank‑you to Gander, Newfoundland, for its quick compassion. While relief ceremonies honor those lost, families continue to mourn, as stories of survivors like Janice Brooks highlight the ongoing pain of the day.
In a dim glow of two light beams, the Union of Light transported its message into the Manhattan sky, a nightly reminder of the empty columns that in 2001 crumbled into dust. The Tribute in Light took the world’s attention for the 25th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
For the first time in years, current President Donald Trump stood at the Pentagon’s Memorial Hall and spoke to the assembled Cabinet ministers, former national security advisers and survivors. He underscored that “we will never, ever forget” – a line repeated by former Presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, who had joined Vice‑President JD Vance at the World Trade Center memorial in New York City. The four living Presidents and the first ladies took turns holding hands in a silent, solemn salute.
In the iconic twin‑well memorial, the mass of names was read for nearly four hours, punctuated by bells set to the precise times of the attacks. The cadence of the tolling bells was followed by moments of silence that the families used to remember their loved ones, as well as a seventh bell, marking the diseases that have claimed more lives in the decades since the towers crumbled.
The day was also a call for justice. At the New York ceremony, a widow of a Flight 93 victim questioned why Saudi arsenals have not been held accountable for the actions that led to the crash. She keenly pointed out that “the role of Saudi Arabia” remains a question.
Outside Washington, other cities joined in remembrance. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and US Ambassador Warren Stephens accepted a formal ceremony at Buckingham Palace, while Toronto’s Stock Exchange announced a minute of reflection. In Gander, Newfoundland, the town was praised for its welcoming of thousands of diverted passengers. Back home, the FDNY hailed their shoots in a stair‑climb in Milan, a symbolic act of the 343 firefighters who perished when the World Trade Center collapsed.
