United States president Donald Trump on Monday made history as he delivered his first speech as president during the 9/11 memorial ceremonies at the Pentagon. Time reported that he vowed his full support for the families of the victims during the deadly attacks.
Trump and his wife, first lady Melania held a moment of silence at the White House through a historic event that was conducted on the exact time the terrorist attacks happened in 2001. There were also commemorations held across America.
In his speech at the Pentagon, the president recalled how the people were living their normal lives, not knowing that a terrorist attack was going to plague the nation.
He recalled how “parents dropped off their children at school,” how travelers prepared “to board flights,” and how people in government offices “began their early meetings.”
Trump noted how the entire world changed, and how the “horror and anguish” on the day of the attacks stayed on the memories of the citizens for such a long time. Exactly on September 11, 2001, the world was taken by surprise as four airplanes were hijacked and two of them smashed into the World Trade Center in New York.
Around 3,000 were killed by the terrorist attack that prompted the U.S. government to wage war in Afghanistan. They targeted the Al-Qaeda, the group believed as the people behind the attacks, the president recalled in his speech.
Message for families
His statements on the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 incident also sent messages to the families of those who died that day. He also described the incident as “the worst attack since Pearl Harbor.”
Trump said that each family represented a relative “who was taken on that terrible day.” He added that despite these casualties, “no force on Earth” can take away the memories and the will for these families to move forward.
Despite the fact that the pain can never be taken away, their sacrifices will also be honored by making sure that people in the United States are safe all the time.
The president also paid tribute to the Americans who died and instantly became heroes by “doing their duty and protecting” the country. He urged the nation never to forget about them, their memories and the justice that prevailed from their efforts.
VP Pence in Pennsylvania
Aside from the events led by President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence also led a memorial ceremony in Pennsylvania, calling his speech as “the longest 12 minutes” in his entire life. During the 2001 attacks, one of the four airplanes crashed into an open field in the state of Pennsylvania, the Business Insider reported.
