US marks 25 years since 9/11 with vigils, silence and lasting grief
Americans marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on Friday with ceremonies, vigils, moments of silence and volunteer projects, remembering the nearly 3,000 people killed and the lasting impact of the attacks on the US and beyond. The milestone was observed at the World Trade Centre memorial in New York, the Pentagon near Washington, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaida extremists hijacked four commercial jets and crashed them into New York's World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Officials concluded the fourth plane was headed for Washington, but it went down after passengers and crew members stormed the cockpit and fought the hijackers. According to a new poll, about half of US adults remember 9/11 as the most historic event of their lifetime.
At the World Trade Centre memorial, victims' names were read aloud, as families and officials gathered to pay tribute. Elsie Caldwell carried a photograph of her son Kenny Caldwell and recalled the last time she spoke to him that morning 25 years ago. "Mom, I just want to let you know that I love you," he told her in a final phone call, she said. His remains, like those of many other victims, have never been recovered.
At the Pentagon ceremony, President Donald Trump said, "September 11 reminded us of the terrible power of hate." He added, "The 25 years since have shown us the even greater power of the American spirit to endure and prevail, and to win." Trump had been in his native New York on 9/11. Former President George W Bush, who was in office at the time of the attacks, attended the New York observance along with former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and current Vice President J D Vance. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wiped away a tear as he returned to the site where 658 of his colleagues, including his brother Gary Lutnick, were killed at Cantor Fitzgerald. In Pennsylvania, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum laid a wreath at the Flight 93 memorial and said of the passengers and crew, "The actions they took should inspire us all."
At ground zero, Angilic Casalduc, who lost her mother Vivian Casalduc, said attending the commemoration "helps to show you're not alone". She added, "There's no timeline for grief, and unfortunately, no one can say how you can grieve, but coming here once a year makes it feel just a little bit better." As is customary, there were no political speeches at the ground zero ceremony. Instead, relatives read the long list of names and shared personal messages, while also thanking first responders and the military, invoking religious faith, appealing for national unity and referring to the US relationship with Saudi Arabia, whose government has denied any role in the attacks although most of the hijackers came from the kingdom.
Many relatives spoke directly to loved ones they lost, including some they were too young to remember. "You dreamed my whole life for me, and you only got eight months of it," said Trisha Pakka, who lost her mother, Deepa Pakkala. Kiersten Haub, who was 16 months old when her father, firefighter Michael Helmut Haub, was killed, said, "I carry you through every milestone." This year's ceremony also added a new moment of silence to honour people exposed to the toxic dust from the twin towers' collapse who later died of cancer and other illnesses, though questions remain over how many developed health problems linked to that dust.
The anniversary also underlined how far the effects of 9/11 have spread. The US-led global war on terrorism included invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, with the Afghanistan conflict becoming Washington's longest war. It also involved the detention and harsh interrogation of terror suspects in a network of secret CIA prisons. The US found and killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011, but Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of masterminding 9/11, is still awaiting trial 23 years after his capture.
The attacks also changed everyday life in the US. They reshaped air travel, led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, brought new surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers and banking rules, and fuelled debate over the balance between security and freedom. A culture of individual vigilance took hold under the slogan, "If you see something, say something," while a wave of patriotism led some Americans to join the military, fire services and police.
Among them was Casey Kloepfer, who was four when his father, police officer Ronald Kloepfer, was killed at the World Trade Centre. He became a police officer in June and now wears his father's badge number. "It's big footsteps to fill, but it's definitely something that I take very seriously and want to continue to honour him and be the best police officer I can," he said by phone this week. Across the US on Friday, the 25th anniversary of 9/11 brought together grief, remembrance and reflection on an attack whose human and political consequences continue to endure.
