In the years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, life for Americans has seemed to be returning to normal. But not at the Pentagon, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
“We don’t just work near a memorial. We work in a memorial,” he said today at a ceremony honoring the 184 lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon. “And every day we carry a powerful sense of purpose.”
The event was held at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, located adjacent to the western side of the building where the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed. It was attended by family members of the victims and area Defense Department and first responder personnel.
“We do not bend to terror. And in uncertain times, our compass remains our Constitution. This department does not just defend our country and our citizens, it also defends America’s founding values of democracy, freedom and liberty,” the secretary said.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, render honors during a 9/11 Pentagon Observance Ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 11, 2024. © Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza
The secretary noted that only 6% of today’s troops were in uniform on 9/11 and 21% of them were born after that day.
Austin thanked them and their families for their service, adding that he especially thanks his fellow veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The United States military remains the greatest fighting force on Earth, not just because of our might, but because of our people. And we will always strive to carry forward with values of the teammates whom we lost here 23 years ago. Their memory is our mission, and their families are our families, too. You have endured endless sorrow with unimaginable strength. We stand with you today and every day, and we rededicate ourselves to living up to the example and the goodness of your loved ones,” the secretary said.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., noted that those who were at work that day in the building recall the absence of panic, despite the horror, shock and confusion.
They were trained military and civilian professionals dedicated to the mission and to helping the men and women in the building. Many ran toward the danger in an effort to save others, despite the smoke and fire and peril, he said.
Brown said that the day’s gathering acknowledged the heroes of 9/11 and honored the family members who have borne the deepest loss, carrying an unimaginable weight for the past 23 years.
