Washington -- Four years have passed
since the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center
and Pentagon took the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent victims.
On September 11, dozens of memorial services and commemorative
activities across the nation will honor those who lost their
lives and celebrate efforts to rebuild.
Over the span of years, Americans have found
a way to move forward, to rebuild and restore order to life,
and to pay tribute to the lost even while mourning continued
terrorist attacks around the world. Those who gave their
lives that fateful day are remembered and missed, and the
attacks continue to have a profound effect on world events.
New York City continues a remarkable recovery
from the attacks, and a design has been chosen in preparation
for rebuilding at the “Ground Zero” –
the site of the World Trade Center -- that includes an extensive
memorial intended to remind the United States of the cost
of freedom.
In Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington,
American resilience was exemplified in the speed and fervor
with which the Pentagon was rebuilt within one year of the
direct strike to the west side of the building that killed
184.
In the state of Pennsylvania, where a fourth
hijacked airliner crashed in a field, killing all 40 persons
aboard, a church -- Flight 93 Memorial Chapel, completed
September 11, 2002 -- has been named after the flight. Services
honoring the dead will be held at the church throughout
the weekend. (See additional
information.)
Americans across the nation will mark the
fourth anniversary in special services like the annual memorial
ceremony held at Ground Zero in New York City on September
11. At the 2005 service, the names of victims killed at
the World Trade Center will be read by their siblings. In
addition, victims' families will gather at the footprints
of the twin towers by descending into Ground Zero, a site
now below street level. At sundown, the "Tribute in
Light" will shine its twin beacons for one night as
a symbol of the spirit of the community.
The U.S. Department of Defense will host
an "America Supports You" Freedom Walk from the
Pentagon to the National Mall beginning at 10 a.m., followed
by a concert featuring Country recording artist Clint Black.
(See additional
information.)
The Pentagon Memorial site and the America's
Heroes Memorial located inside the Pentagon will be open to
the public, for the first time since the attack, Saturday,
September 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walking tours will be
given and replicas of the chosen memorial design will on display.
Also in Washington, the Council on American
Islamic Relations held an Interfaith Candlelight Vigil at
the reflecting pool at the base of Capitol Hill on Friday
September 9, from 6:45 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. The event included
remarks by interfaith leaders, and CAIR's "Voice of
Unity Award" was presented. Islamic sunset prayers
(Maghrib) were held immediately after the event.
United in Memory, a nonprofit organization
formed after the attacks, started the 9/11 Victims Memorial
Quilt project to keep the memory alive. The quilt includes
142 individual quilts, each measuring 10 feet on each side.
The total square footage of the quilt is 15,500 and includes
a block representing each victim. The quilt is currently
touring the nation until it finds a permanent home and will
be available for viewing in Washington September 9-11. (See
additional
information.)
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U.S. Embassy Montevideo displays
the message "Para Recordar" ("To Remember")
on chancery building to honor the victims of the 9/11
tragedy. |
Laura Potter
Washington File Staff Writer
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