Transkript (en)

At this very hour, a quarter century ago, Islamic terrorists murdered 184 Americans right here at the Pentagon. Their co-conspirators had already crashed two planes into two towers in New York. More conspirators murdered innocent Americans aboard an airplane that crashed in Shanksville. But on that flight, Flight 93, Americans fought back, saving this very capital. The first American counterattack of the war. All told, Islamist terrorists murdered nearly 3,000 of our fellow Americans that day 25 years ago. It's hard to even imagine. These dastardly and cowardly attacks changed America in ways that even the sound of those planes on this day stirs your soul. but it changed america not as the cowards had hoped you see their attacks inspired millions to step forward instead and say send me in the book of isaiah isaiah said here i am lord send me and the days that weeks that followed millions of americans said here we are send us And so we fought foreign wars a generation of sacrifice of valor selfless and steadfast Even if imperfect those conflicts were our retribution. And today on this site, we honor the 184 murdered at the Pentagon. Warriors and civilians, officers and enlisted moms and dads, brothers and sisters whose faces we saw, whose names were read. A flag for each surrounds this venue. We honor the survivors. We honor the first responders who ran toward the flames, heroic firefighters, police officers, and EMTs pulling out the wounded and the fallen out of the rubble and the toxic smoke. Warriors and civilians alike, they stared death in the eye and they did not blink. September 11th, 2001 was one of the darkest days in American history, but evil did not get the last word. It never has and it never will. Twenty five years later, America is stronger than ever before, tall and proud.