[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 11, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8475-S8481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN REMEMBRANCE OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
Mr. REID. Mr. President, we all have been touched by the events at
the Pentagon this morning. As I walked in, there was a woman whom I do
not know, but she is symbolic of the sacrifices that people have made.
Her face had been burned very badly, she had no hands, and her arms had
been burned. This is what the terrorist activity is all about.
This innocent woman, who never did anything to anyone, has been
subjected to this physical torture. It goes without saying that she has
gone through and will go through many skin grafts and other such
procedures so that she can learn to use her prosthetic hands, which she
does not have yet.
It used to be when a building was constructed, they had a ceremony,
on every major construction, called the laying of the chief
cornerstone. What does that mean? It means that the final stone in the
foundation of that building will be laid.
Why did people celebrate that event? They celebrated because they
knew if that building had a strong foundation, it would be fine.
In our life in America, that foundation, that chief cornerstone is
the Constitution of the United States. That little document that people
speak about in this Chamber--led by, more than anyone else, Senator
Byrd--is the chief cornerstone of this great democracy.
As we are forced to remember these events of September 11--because it
is
[[Page S8476]]
easy not to put unpleasant thoughts in our minds--as we are forced to
remember these events, and rightfully so, we have to remember that this
country has a firm foundation because the chief cornerstone of the
foundation of this country is our Constitution.
Today, of course, is the first anniversary of the September 11
terrorist attacks on America. On this day we remember, as we will do
every year on September 11, those tragic events that our Nation
experienced on September 11, 2001.
What happened in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania has
left many of us--in fact, all of us--with memories and strong emotions.
I know that Nevadans were deeply affected by the terrorist attacks in
the aftermath, and I feel good about how people in Nevada have reacted.
We were hurt very badly. Our No. 1 business is tourism, and tourism
took a terrible blow. But those business entrepreneurs, people who
worked for those large corporations, and the people who worked for the
small businesses recognized that time would solve the problems, that
time would heal a lot of the tourism problems, and it has. We are not
back to where we were, but we are OK. I am proud of how the people of
the State of Nevada have reacted.
We also have had from the State of Nevada a pouring out of sympathy,
comfort, and consolation for those who were killed and hurt. We lost a
teacher in the terrorism attacks, a teacher at Palo Verde High School.
We lost two soldiers who were killed in action. So we will always
remember what happened.
As individuals and in private, we will often reflect on this national
tragedy. We cannot confine our memories to a single day or be guided by
the calendar, but September 11 will forever be the day that we
collectively, as a nation, as a people, as America remember. We
remember those whose lives were ended so suddenly and violently, not
knowing what happened.
We remember the firefighters. We remember the police officers--the
firefighters are New York's bravest, the police officers are New York's
finest--and all other emergency and rescue workers who accepted the
risks in rushing into burning buildings giving their lives, suffering
physical and mental injury to help save the lives of people they did
not know.
We remember the sacrifice, the selflessness, the heroism, and the
courage of all of those who offered aid. We must remember those who
survived and the thousands who did not. We must remember the parents,
grandparents, children, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands, partners,
and friends who have been robbed of not a weekend, not a week, not a
month, not a year, but they have been robbed of their loved ones
forever.
From the stories they have shared, we remember not only the deaths
but the lives of their loved ones, remember their loss, and their
struggle to heal. We remember our personal losses, our pain, even our
anger, and, of course, our tears.
We remember the shock of seeing massive metal towers collapse as if
they were Erector Sets that our grandchildren constructed. We have seen
these massive metal towers reduced to rubble. We all remember the fire
and the smoke.
I will never forget leaving room 219, after Senator Daschle told us
we had to evacuate the building, looking out the window and seeing the
smoke billowing out of the Pentagon where we were this morning. We
remember, though, the effort to rebuild the Pentagon. We remember the
generosity and spirit of Americans coming together to offer kindness,
money, compassion, and consolation. We remember the sympathy expressed
by foreign governments. As the President expressed this morning, some
90 foreign governments--I think it was the President; maybe it was
Secretary Rumsfeld--are helping us in our battle in Afghanistan.
We remember that individuals all over the world opened their arms and
their hearts to America. We remember the gruesome images so vivid that
they are etched in our minds, and we remember how the spirit of our
Nation was awakened, how Americans demonstrated resilience and resolve.
We remember how the country united to support the war on terrorism. We
remember the soldiers who were killed as part of our military efforts
in Afghanistan. We remember, and we must always remember, the firm
foundation of our country. We are a country guided by the Constitution
of the United States, which separates us from the rest of the world.
That is why we have remained a strong, vibrant democracy for more than
200 years.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Virginia.
Mr. ALLEN. I ask unanimous consent to speak on this matter for as
much time as I may consume.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my thoughts on this
very solemn day of remembrance as we all return from a magnificent
ceremony at the Pentagon observing all that is strong and good and
awesome about our country.
I thank the Senator from Nevada for his very poignant words of
empathy, as well as his understanding of the foundations of our
country. Nevada, as all States, was hit hard.
We saw the outpouring of compassion all over this country, and I will
share some of those stories. I recall in August driving across a lonely
two-lane road in South Dakota, which would eventually get to the
Badlands. There was a big bale of hay on the side of the road which had
painted on it the American flag. It showed the spirit of that farm. We
did not see any people, but we knew the sentiment of the folks who
lived on that farm and in that region.
September 11, 9/11, just those words evoke sentiments and memories of
where we were and what we did on that day of tragedy. As we remember
those vile terrorist attacks of one year ago, for many of us the
emotions and shock, the disbelief and horror that we experienced
individually and as a people and a nation are still fresh. Those
memories, however, continue to strengthen our resolve in the same way
that our Nation was forged together after those vile attacks a year
ago.
Today, we view our Nation in a fundamentally new light. We have a
greater understanding of the freedoms we enjoy and how vital it is that
they be guarded, preserved, and even fought for, if necessary. We have
a greater appreciation for a country that respects people of diverse
backgrounds, cultures, and religious beliefs. We have poured out our
hearts and our assistance to those who were injured and the families of
those who lost a dear one. We view firefighters, police officers, first
responders, with much greater appreciation, whether they are the brave
men and women of the battalions in New York City or northern Virginia
or in communities large and small all across our United States of
America. These men and women were transformed on that day into our
heroes. We will forever remember the thousands of innocent men, women,
and children who were killed at the World Trade Center and in a field
in Somerset County, PA.
This Senator will remember the 184 patriots at the Pentagon and on
American Airlines flight 77 who lost their lives on Virginia soil. It
is indeed the heroes and the innocent patriotic victims we will
remember the most. The images of flags raised, the solemn salute of
rescuers to their fallen comrades, and people who were rushing into
burning buildings on the verge of collapsing hoping to just save one
more life.
They and the freedom-loving patriots across our great Nation stand in
stark contrast to those who only know hate, destruction, and
oppression.
We also see that in a time of trial, ordinary people of all walks of
life perform with extraordinary courage and dignity. We remember people
such as LTC Ted Anderson, who carried two of the injured from the
burning Pentagon and reentered through a broken window to drag out two
more, one whose clothes were on fire; 1SG Rick Keevill and Virginia
State Troopers Mike Middleton and Myrlin Wimbish, who entered the
Pentagon three separate times looking for victims; LCDR David
Tarantino, who moved a pile of rubble enough to pull a man from the
Pentagon just before the roof collapsed; other Pentagon heroes such as
SSG Christopher Braman; LTC Victor Correa; SGT Roxane Cruz-Cortes; MAJ
John Grote; LTC Robert Grunewald; COL Philip McNair; CPT Darrell
Oliver; SP Michael Petrovich; SGM Tony
[[Page S8477]]
Rose; LTC Marilyn Wills; and CPT David Thomas.
The Senator from Nevada, Mr. Reid, mentioned a woman who I think was
Mrs. Kurtz at the Pentagon. Mrs. Louise Kurtz, though severely burned
herself, valiantly tended to the needs of others around her. I am
introducing legislation that will change current law so that
individuals--such as Mrs. Kurtz, and those in her situation--can
contribute to her retirement and so they will be able to afford to
return to work after a very lengthy period of recuperation.
We also remember people such as Barbara Olson, a passenger on flight
77 who had the presence of mind to call loved ones on the ground to
alert them of the hijacking.
We remember CPT ``Chic'' Burlingame of flight 77 who died fighting
off hijackers who commandeered his plane and who is now properly buried
at Arlington National Cemetery. These people have all touched our
lives.
In talking to Mr. Burlingame's brothers and sister and wife, I find
it noteworthy that at the Arlington National Cemetery his grave is on
the tour and people in the tradition of those of the Jewish faith will
put rocks on his headstone. That is very touching to the family and
shows the unity and appreciation of a grateful nation.
We also remember the survivors, survivors such as Stephen Push, whose
wife Lisa Raines perished in the Pentagon and who has become a forceful
and articulate spokesman for victims and families.
I will always remember, and thought of it last night while driving
home, a young boy, a neighbor, a friend of my children whose name is
Nick Jacoby. He lost his father on flight 77.
There are stories all over our communities and Nation. We also, of
course, remember the quiet dignity of people such as Lisa Beamer who
helped keep their loved ones very much alive for all of us. Her husband
Todd, who said, ``Let's roll,'' led an uprising with several other
patriots against the hijackers of flight 93 and saved hundreds, if not
thousands, of lives at the Capitol and in the Washington, DC,
area. Recent reports recognize their likely target was this building.
We will remember countless others whose courageous efforts saved
lives and provided comfort. We will remember and we will thank them for
their extraordinary, inspirational dignity and their character. We will
also remember the construction workers, the hard-hat patriots of the
Phoenix project who worked around the clock in their inspiring efforts
to rebuild the Pentagon in plenty of time for employees to move in
before the 1-year anniversary.
We will remember folks from a church that made quilts, the Christ
Baptist Church from Prince William in Manassas, a magnificent quilt
with the names of all who died. Also, we will remember the
International House of Pancakes in Bristol, VA, an IHOP owned by an
American who came here from Lebanon. I asked him a few months later how
his business was. He said right after the attacks, for a few weeks,
there were hardly any customers. But then a Methodist Church in
Bristol, on the Virginia-Tennessee line, brought up the situation, and
everyone from that church on that Sunday went in with their families
and filled up the IHOP. Since then, others were coming back. That is a
sign of the decency and the care of communities across the Nation.
Five days ago, in New York City, I had the opportunity to speak to a
group of 70 mothers who were pregnant last September 11, and who were
made widows on that terrible day. It has been said that suffering makes
kinsmen of us all. While those mothers no longer have the physical and
emotional support of their husbands, and the fathers of their children,
they are now a part of our greater American family. In those babies,
all under 1 year, the spirit and blood of their fathers live on. We
want the babies to grow up with the optimism of liberty and opportunity
and hope that is the spirit of America. These young children represent
not just a birth but a rebirth, a rebirth and a rededication of the
strength and unity of our Nation and her great, caring people as we
move forward. Indeed, our Nation will be changed for generations by the
tragic events of a single day and all those that followed September 11.
We pray for the souls of all that we lost that day and their surviving
families as well.
As a Senator from Virginia, for the permanent Record of our Republic,
I ask unanimous consent to have printed the names of all the men,
women, and children who perished in that attack on Virginia soil.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
The 184 Victims Who Perished at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001
Paul W. Ambrose
Specialist Craig S. Amundson
Yeoman 3rd Class Melissa Rose Barnes
Master Sgt. Max J. Beilke
Yeneneh Betru
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Kris Romeo Bishundat
Carrie R. Blagburn
Col. Canfield D. Boone
Mary Jane Booth
Donna M. Bowen
Allen P. Boyle
Bernard C. Brown II
Electronics Technician 3rd Class Christopher L. Burford
Capt. Charles F. Burlingame III
Electronic Technician 3rd Class Daniel M. Caballero
Sgt. 1st Class Jose O. Calderon-Olmedo
Suzanne M. Calley
Angelene C. Carter
Sharon A. Carver
William E. Caswell
Sgt. 1st Class John J. Chada
Rosa Maria Chapa
David M. Charlebois
Sara M. Clark
Julian T. Cooper
Asia S. Cotton
Lt. Commander Eric A. Cranford
Ada M. Davis
James D. Debeuneure
Capt. Gerald F. Deconto
Rodney Dickens
Lt. Commander Jerry D. Dickerson
Eddie A. Dillard
Information Systems Technician 1st Class Johnnie Doctor, Jr.
Capt. Robert E. Dolan, Jr.
Commander William H. Donovan
Lt. Commander Charles A. Droz III
Commander Patrick Dunn
Aerographer's Mate 1st Class Edward T. Earhart
Barbara G. Edwards
Lt. Commander Robert R. Elseth
Charles S. Falkenberg
Leslie A. Whittington
Dana Falkenberg
Zoe Falkenberg
Store Keeper 3rd Class Jamie L. Fallon
J. Joseph Ferguson
Amelia V. Fields
Gerald P. Fisher
Darlene E. Flagg
Rear Adm. Wilson F. Flagg
Aerographer's Mate 2nd Class Matthew M. Flocco
Sandra N. Foster
1st Lt. Richard P. Gabriel
Capt. Lawrence D. Getzfred
Cortez Ghee
Brenda C. Gibson
Col. Ronald F. Golinski
Ian J. Gray
Diane Hale-McKinzy
Stanley R. Hall
Carolyn B. Halmon
Michele M. Heidenberger
Sheila M.S. Hein
Electronics Technician 1st Class Ronald J. Hemenway
Maj. Wallace Cole Hogan, Jr.
Staff Sgt. Jimmie I. Holley
Angela M. Houtz
Brady Kay Howell
Peggie M. Hurt
Lt. Col. Stephen N. Hyland, Jr.
Lt. Col. Robert J. Hymel
Sgt. Maj. Lacey B. Ivory
Bryan C. Jack
Steven D. Jacoby
Lt. Col. Dennis M. Johnson
Judith L. Jones
Ann C. Judge
Brenda Kegler
Chandler R. Keller
Yvonne E. Kennedy
Norma Cruz Khan
Karen Ann Kincaid
Lt. Michael S. Lamana
David W. Laychak
Dong Chul Lee
Jennifer Lewis
Kenneth E. Lewis
Sammantha L. Lightbourn-Allen
Maj. Stephen V. Long
James T. Lynch, Jr.
Terrace M. Lynch
Operations Specialist 2nd Class Nehamon Lyons IV
Shelley A. Marshall
Teresa M. Martin
Ada L. Mason-Acker
Lt. Col. Dean E. Mattson
Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude
Robert J. Maxwell
Renee A. May
Molly L. McKenzie
Dora Marie Menchaca
Patricia E. Mickley
Maj. Ronald D. Milam
Gerald P. Moran, Jr.
Odessa V. Morris
Electronics Technician 1st Class Brian A. Moss
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Teddington H. Moy
Lt. Commander Patrick J. Murphy
Christopher C. Newton
Khang Ngoc Nguyen
Illustrator-Draftsman 2nd Class Michael A. Noeth
Barbara K. Olson
Ruben S. Ornedo
Diana B. Padro
Lt. Jonas M. Panik
Maj. Clifford L. Patterson, Jr.
Robert Penninger
Robert R. Ploger III
Zandra F. Ploger
Capt. Jack D. Punches
Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator 1st Class Joseph J.
Pycior, Jr.
Lisa J. Raines
Deborah A. Ramsaur
Rhonda Sue Rasmussen
Information Systems Technician 1st Class Marsha D. Ratchford
Martha M. Reszke
Todd H. Reuben
Cecelia E. (Lawson) Richard
Edward V. Rowenhorst
Judy Rowlett
Sgt. Maj. Robert E. Russell
Chief Warrant Officer 4th Class William R. Ruth
Charles E. Sabin, Sr.
Majorie C. Salamone
John P. Sammartino
Col. David M. Scales
Commander Robert A. Schlegel
Janice M. Scott
Lt. Col. Michael L. Selves
Marian H. Serva
Commander Dan F. Shanower
Antionette M. Sherman
Diane M. Simmons
George W. Simmons
Donald D. Simmons
Cheryle D. Sincock
Information Systems Technician Chief Gregg H. Smallwood
Lt. Col. Gary F. Smith
Mari-Rae Sopper
Robert Speisman
Lt. Darin H. Pontell
Scott Powell
Patricia J. Statz
Edna L. Stephens
Norma Lang Steuerle
Sgt. Maj. Larry L. Strickland
Hilda E. Taylor
Lt. Col. Kip P. Taylor
Leonard E. Taylor
Sandra C. Taylor
Sandra D. Teague
Lt. Col. Karl W. Teepe
Sgt. Tamara C. Thurman
Lt. Commander Otis V. Tolbert
Staff Sgt. Willie Q. Troy
Lt. Commander Ronald J. Vauk
Lt. Commander Karen J. Wagner
Meta L. (Fuller) Waller
Specialist Chin Sun Pak Wells
Staff Sgt. Maudlyn A. White
Sandra L. White
Ernest M. Willcher
Lt. Commander David L. Williams
Maj. Dwayne Williams
Radioman Chief Marvin Roger Woods
Capt. John D. Yamnicky, Sr.
Vicki Yancey
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Kevin W. Yokum
Information Systems Technician Chief Donald M. Young
Edmond G. Young, Jr.
Lisa L. Young
Shuyin Yang
Yuguang Zheng
Mr. ALLEN. I add in closing, the Burlingame family, wife and
surviving brother and sister, gave me a replica of one of the few
things found from Captain Burlingame, other than his wedding ring. He
had a picture of his mother and a prayer. They gave this to me a couple
hours ago at the ceremony at the Pentagon.
I share it with my colleagues and Americans. It is entitled: ``I Did
Not Die,'' by Mary Frye.
Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I'm the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.
Never forget. We will never forget. We will always remember this day
that forged America together. These horrific events have strengthened
our unity of purpose and resolve as Americans, that we stand strong
together for liberty. I hope and pray that as long as God continues to
bless our United States and indeed blesses the entire world with people
of such courage, integrity, and character, that liberty and justice
will endure and prevail.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I come to the floor to remember,
to reflect, to try to somehow do justice to the memory of those lost to
us on September 11. The tremendous grief we felt then, and still feel
so sharply today, makes this anniversary a painful one for all of us as
a nation, and as a people.
The anguish of that day will always be with us, but those of us who
witnessed those acts of terror on our television screens know that we
cannot imagine the suffering of those who perished in the attacks, or
those who survived them.
The families and friends of those who died must live with terrible
loss, and those who survived must live with searing memories.
No passage of time can ever erase the emotions of that day. But 1
year later, we also know that no passage of time can diminish the
legacy left behind by those who perished. They will always be with us,
living on in the family and friends who loved them.
No passage of time will allow us to regain what was so tragically
lost on that morning. But one year later, with the passage of time, we
see so clearly what was briefly obscured by smoke and fear and
disbelief. We see the strength of the people around us--their everyday
heroism, their generosity, and their humanity.
No passage of time can change what happened on September 11. But the
last year has shown us that when our Nation was tested by terror, we
did not falter, and most of all we did not fail each other. We rose
together to meet the challenges before us, and we found that together
we were capable of more than we ever imagined.
So today we find strength in each other. We find strength in the acts
of heroism, and the acts of simple humanity, that took place on
September 11 and in the aftermath of the attacks: the bravery of the
first responders at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the
acts of kindness of Americans all over the country who donated blood,
observed moments of silence, or flew the flag in a show of patriotism
and support.
Each of these acts, however large or small, contributed to our
growing faith in the Nation's recovery, and in each other.
I was deeply proud of the many Wisconsinites who reached out to the
victims of September 11 and their families. Volunteers from around the
state flocked to disaster relief organizations to donate money and
donate their time to support the victims of the attacks.
A number of Wisconsin volunteers also traveled to the World Trade
Center to support the rescue workers. That desire all of us felt to do
something, anything we could to help the victims of the attacks ran
deep in my state, as it did everywhere across the country.
Just as the firefighters and police on 9/11 redefined bravery and
heroism, in the uncertain days that followed, the Americans who reached
out to help the victims and their families redefined generosity and
patriotism.
A number of companies in Wisconsin, as so many businesses nationwide,
also donated to the rescue efforts. Fire truck manufacturers such as
Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton, WI, and Marion Body Works of Marion,
WI, donated critical replacement equipment to the New York City Fire
Department. Seagrave Fire Apparatus of Clintonville, WI, rallied to
complete previously ordered equipment for the New York City Fire
Department in the wake of the attacks, and sent staff to New York to
help the Department repair damaged equipment.
These efforts reaffirmed our faith that Americans would rise to this
challenge, as we have so many times throughout our Nation's history.
And we are rising to that challenge.
It has not been easy, and I frankly don't believe that all the
choices we have made have been the right ones. But that has never
affected the pride I feel to be an American during this extraordinary
time in our history. I couldn't be more proud of the way Americans have
come together in the wake of this tragedy, and I have been privileged
to serve in the Senate during this last year.
What we as a nation have accomplished over the last year, and what we
will accomplish in the years to come to meet the challenge of
terrorism, will be our mark on history, not just as a Congress but as a
generation.
It is of course impossible to summarize what happened on 9/11 and
what it means. There were so many moments--public and private, captured
on film and also lost to history--that make up our collective memory of
that day.
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The New York Times section ``Portraits of Grief,'' however, is one
laudable effort to pay tribute to the victims as individuals by
remembering and celebrating each of their lives. These brief stories of
the victims' lives remind us that the people who died that day were
from every walk of life, from all over the country, and from all over
the world. They remind us of what America truly is--a sea of
nationalities and ethnicities never before seen in human history. The
bitter irony of al-Qaida's desire to kill Americans is that people from
every corner of the world have become citizens of this Nation. Like
places all across America, the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and
the hijacked planes were filled with people with roots in Africa,
Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Central and South America.
These people and their families came here for different reasons, and
they likely lived vastly different lives. But all of them had the
chance to be a part of this great and free Nation. And all of them were
senselessly struck down on September 11.
One such man was Ramzi Doany. I would like to read the story
published in the ``Portraits of Grief'' section of the New York Times
about this man, who lived for many years in my home state of Wisconsin.
Ramzi Doany amassed friends. He amassed them with acts of
kindness, like tutoring a woman with lupus, two children and
no husband, to get her through college, or letting his
college roommate and the roommate's wife live in his condo
for two years so they could save money for a down payment on
a house.
He amassed friends with his sense of humor, which filled a
room and flourished at an early age. As a boy of 9 or 10,
young Ramzi dug a hole in the backyard for a terrible report
card and put a stone on top. ``He said it was dead and
buried,'' said his sister, Dina Doany Azzam.
Mr. Doany was born to Palestinian parents in Amman, Jordan,
and lived for many years in Milwaukee. At 35, he devoured the
novels of Dickens, cooked Thanksgiving turkeys with great
pride (even if they were just a bit dry) and had just bought
a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He chose to work as a forensic
accountant last March for Marsh & McLennan, the insurance
brokerage company, because it would bring him to New York, a
city he loved. The job also brought him to the World Trade
Center.
It was a funny sort of journey, his sister said.
This man's journey, like so many others, was tragically cut short on
September 11.
On this day, the passage of time is bittersweet. Whatever the healing
powers of time, no passage of years can change what happened on
September 11. But the passage of time brings other gifts.
This last year has brought us resolve--the firm resolve to stop
terror, to preserve our liberty, and to do justice to the memory of
those who died.
It has also shown us our own resilience--how Americans, even in the
initial moments of shock and horror of the attacks, showed so much
bravery, so much compassion, and so much generosity.
Finally, time has brought renewal. It has renewed our strength, our
hope, and our faith in each other.
So it is with this resolve, this resilience, and this sense of
renewal that we move forward, in the name of those who perished,
dedicated to fighting terror, and united by our faith in this great and
free Nation.
I yield the floor.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, in the morning hours of September 11 our
nation endured a terrible tragedy. Though thousands of miles from the
crash sites, the response from our ``Last Frontier'' was overwhelming.
Alaskans rushed to aid the victims of the terrorist attacks. They
volunteered rescue dogs and handlers. They waited in line for three
hours to donate blood. Some boarded planes and traveled to Ground Zero
to aid in the search and rescue efforts. In December, those Alaskans
were still there clearing debris.
Alaskans who could not travel to the crash sites offered support in
other ways. Over 10,000 Alaskans signed two fifty-foot banners bearing
the phrase ``Love and Prayers, from the People of Alaska.'' One banner
was presented in New York City by Alaskan firefighters. The other now
hangs in the Pentagon. Countless Alaskans donated funds to help victims
through the economic hardships brought on by the attacks. In Kenai, the
Firefighters Association petitioned our state to name a mountain after
St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters, as a tribute to
firefighters killed in the World Trade Center.
This year, Alaskans once again join the nation in mourning and
remembrance. Today, I attended the Pentagon's memorial service, but in
my home State. Alaskans will pay tribute to our heroes in their own
unique way. Anchorage residents will observe a moment of silence at
8:46 a.m. Emergency responders from across Alaska will gather on Barrow
Street in Anchorage and join firefighters and police in a procession. A
memorial wall will be erected at Town Square. In Homer, Motzart's
``Requiem'' will be performed as part of a worldwide sequence of
performances beginning at the hour of the attack and moving from one
time zone to the next. I hope all Alaskans who cannot participate in
these events will attend a memorial and prominently display American
flags.
I am proud of Alaska's efforts to honor and remember the victims of
this tragedy. On that fateful morning they gave what Lincoln called the
``last full measure of devotion.'' We honor their memory and their
sacrifice.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Wyoming. The
Senator is advised that under the previous order at the hour of 11:40
the Republican leader will be recognized to speak.
Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I appreciate the opportunity to share some
thoughts about this day.
We all have memories, of course, of a year ago. They are so clear
after a year. Nothing like that has ever happened in this country. We
remember it as we see it again on TV today.
We have had a year to react, to recognize and accept the fact that it
did happen. The unbelievable thing, shocking as it was, did happen. But
we have also had the time to change from the immediate anger that we
had, and the disbelief, to a commitment and resolution to do all that
is necessary to make certain that it does not happen again.
We have had this year to increase our loyalty to our country and to
our flag, to increase our understanding of the values of freedom and
democracy, to commit our resolve to help and support those who have
lost loved ones, family members, and friends, to accept the reality
that here in the Congress we can disagree and have different views on
normal, daily issues, but when it comes to protecting our country and
to preserving freedom, we all come together.
The events of September 11 have clearly changed the way Americans
view the world. We watched the events unfold. No one will ever forget.
Everyone around the world has been touched, and we see some of that
now. We are embroiled in a struggle against people who do not care
about their lives and have set out to ruin ours. Sadly, we lost lives,
but we regained a strong commitment to preserving our freedom and our
integrity.
So all and all, it has been a year of shock, disbelief, anger,
followed by commitment, caring, sharing, patriotism, and determination.
I think we should be very proud of our fellow Americans for their
commitment, their willingness to sacrifice and to give--whether it be
on the battlegrounds overseas, whether it be in rescue missions or law
enforcement, in charity to the needy, leadership in our country both at
the community and national level, or just caring for our friends and
neighbors and loving our families. This year has put an emphasis in all
these values.
The United States will survive and will strengthen. Freedom will
endure, and we thank God for the opportunity to be able to ensure that
for our future.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, my time was to begin at 11:40 and we are a
couple of minutes before that time. If I can take a moment before I
begin with that, I will seek recognition now.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator is recognized.
Mr. LOTT. I acknowledge the fine statement that was made by Senator
Thomas and thank him for his efforts today to make sure that Senators
are aware of the opportunity to come to the floor of the Senate and pay
appropriate tribute and recognition, and express the condolences that
are so appropriate for that occasion. I want to
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make sure he was aware of our appreciation.
Mr. THOMAS. I thank the Republican leader.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this day, September 11, is its own memorial.
A year ago I got a call from my daughter, expressing her horror and her
sorrow on this, her birthday--and only 2 weeks after her new daughter
was born. She talked about how ``I will just change my birth date. I
will celebrate it a day earlier.'' She asked me, ``What exactly is this
situation in this world I have brought my daughter into?''
It struck me that she would have those questions and those concerns,
and what she had seen that day. She worried about what it means for the
future.
I talked to her this morning on her birthday. She celebrates her
birthday today, as she should--not just because it was the day she was
born but because she now realizes that in some ways, in spite of her
horror, this is an even more special day--this is Patriots Day.
So my special pen from the Pentagon service will go to my daughter on
this day because I think in a way how she felt a year ago and how she
feels today reflects what we have all gone through and what we have
experienced.
The truth is that this day doesn't really require any speeches or
ceremonies, though we certainly will have them all day long. We really
need no monument to remind us of the suffering and sorrow that befell
our country 1 year ago today.
As we sat there next to the wall of the Pentagon, I kept thinking
about the innocent men, women, and children who lost their lives so
inexplicably and so mercilessly on that day. But I also think about
those who tried so hard that day to save people's lives with danger to
themselves. Some of them probably were injured, and some of them maybe
were killed--and all that has gone into the work at that building to
symbolize the importance of us showing that we are mending our wounds
and we are going to be stronger from what we have experienced.
The wound that we had last year hasn't healed, nor should we expect
it to be healed so quickly, nor many of the scars. The scars will be
there. As a nation, we lost a great deal--not only these innocent lives
in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York, but also that sense of
security, and perhaps even naivety that we have experienced thinking
that this is America, we are free and we are accessible, and we go and
do what we want without being better in any way.
Well, that has changed. I believe we have been hurt deeply--not just
those who were directly involved, but all of us who watched it--all
Americans and all freedom-loving people all over the world.
I continue to be so pleased and, frankly, thrilled with the reaction
I get when I meet with leaders from countries all over the world--and
just average people on the streets of other countries. They come up and
express their condolences and their support.
Yesterday I met with the President of Bulgaria and the Prime Minister
of Portugal. Their comments were so reassuring and satisfying. They
have done their part. Bulgaria--yes. Bulgaria has had troops in
Afghanistan and, fortunately, has stood with us and will stay with us
in the future.
We have been hurt deeply. But our observance of this day is about
more than grief, it is about more than anger, and it is about more than
appreciation. It is about valor and courage beyond words adequate to
describe what has happened and how we feel. It is about compassion and
it is about a unity of spirit.
I have felt that I have seen it as I have gone across this country. I
do not know how many States I have been in over the past year--but a
lot of them, and there is a different feeling. When people sing ``God
Bless America'' and start taking the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag,
they sing and speak differently--with a little more gusto. But it is
not about a flag, although that is what becomes so much a symbol of
what we are experiencing internally. And it is not solely even about
individuals. It is about ideas and principles--the values that have
made this country what it is.
In this body, we don't take an oath to people or an oath to a person.
We take an oath to the Constitution. So that unity of spirit has really
been so obvious since I have gone into States in New England and the
South and the West and the far West. It is about faith that looks
through death and a consolation beyond all human assurance.
This morning, when we joined President Bush at the Pentagon to
formally reopen that section of the building destroyed in the terrorist
attack, we all again felt those emotions of a year ago. I was sitting
next to Senator Daschle, and we couldn't help but remember a year ago
when we flew in a helicopter, along with Senator Reid and Senator
Nickles, right over that area. We looked down and saw what was going
on--the smoke, the confusion, and the activities in trying to save
people's lives, put out the fire, and deal with all that was going on.
It is a site that has been burned into my memory forever.
Needless to say, there couldn't be a better symbol than the
restoration of the Pentagon for the way America's Armed Forces have
responded to the assault on our country. God bless them for what they
have done and for what they are doing today.
But those who were responsible for that horror--and all those who
shelter them, finance them, abet them, encourage them, or reward them--
should understand this: America's most important rebuilding is not the
shattered wall of the Pentagon, nor the scar in the earth in New York
City. For what we have restored in the past year cannot be measured in
granite and steel, nor even grassy knolls, as in the case of
Pennsylvania. We have rebuilt a wall of resolve, of determination, and
of steady purpose.
We have renewed trust in our leadership, and in one another, yes. We
will disagree on this floor and we will argue about the best way to do
the homeland security part and what should be the limitations on terror
insurance. That is what democracy is all about. But in the end we have
been able to find a way over the past year to come together and get a
result. That is through determination and a steady purpose.
We have renewed trust in ways that I hope will stay with us for a
long time. We have rediscovered in our shared sorrow the power of a
truly free society to overcome the enemies of freedom.
These are our battlements and these are our armaments, and their
might is going to be felt both here at home and in lands far away--
until the hand of terror is crushed and the work of justice is done.
Again, we extend our heartfelt condolences to those family members
who lost loved ones last year. We remind ourselves of how heroes were
born on that date out of that horror, and we rededicate ourselves to
the purpose of preserving this great young Republic and all the
freedoms for which it stands.
I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I begin by complimenting the
distinguished Republican leader on his eloquence and his message this
morning.
It was 1 year ago today that many of us turned on our television and
saw what we could only imagine at the time was a horrible, horrible
accident. Soon we realized that it was no accident. Instead, it was the
worst terrorist attack on American soil.
Later this morning the wing of the Pentagon that was destroyed is
being rededicated. That field in Shanksville is once again green. The
debris from the site of the World Trade Center has been removed. The
heavy equipment and the workers are now engaged in the act of
building--not removing.
Through the physical scars of that day, we see a nation beginning to
be healed. The emotional ones are still raw with our memory. Thousands
of families are approaching their second Thanksgiving without a loved
one. Children are approaching their second holiday season without a
mother--or a father. Empty locker in firehouses still bear witness to
the brave men who are no longer there.
And so, the Pentagon can be restored. New grass can cover the churned
earth of a rural field. New towers can begin to rise where others fell.
Seasons and years can pass. Through it all, we will never forget.
This day will forever be a part of our national memory. Nine/eleven
will forever be our national shorthand for all
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that we witnessed, all that we have experienced--on that day and the
days following.
That is what we remember all across America today.
In my home State of South Dakota, there will be a number of small
services, including a memorial ceremony at Mount Rushmore.
In Seattle, WA, citizens will march to a downtown fountain that
became the city's unofficial memorial after September 11. Thousands of
flowers had been left there. Those flowers were gathered by the city
and composted. Each marcher will receive a bulb, in mulch generated by
the original memorial flowers, to plant.
Birmingham, AL, is dedicating a new memorial walk. San Francisco is
unfurling a 5-mile long banner along the city's coastline.
From Portland, ME, to Portland, OR, people are pausing, and paying
tribute. All tolled, more than 200 communities are holding events of
some kind. In one way or another, all Americans have the opportunity to
commemorate our Nation's loss.
And, of course, some people will simply go about their business--and
that in itself is a powerful testimonial to our ability to go on.
Today is also a day to remember that our national tragedy is the
combination of thousands of individual tragedies.
I think that sentiment was best stated by Janny Scott, a reporter on
the Metro desk of the New York Times, who was responsible for
assembling a number of the ``Portraits of Grief'' that sought to
capture the essence of each of the victims.
She wrote about ``the individual humanity swallowed up by the
dehumanizing vastness of the toll,'' and what she called ``the
preciousness of each life's path.''
This morning, in New York, former Mayor Giuliani began the process of
reading the names of everyone who perished on that day. If one name is
read every 5 seconds, it will take over 4 hours to list every loss.
We also remember the individual acts of heroism: Firefighters who
rushed up to help others get down; the passengers and flight attendants
on flight 93, who showed us that we don't ever have to surrender to
evil.
Seeing their selflessness inspired something similar in all of us. In
South Dakota, one ranch couple--themselves struggling--sold $40,000
worth of cattle and donated the proceeds to the victims. Similar acts
of selflessness took place all over the country. Millions of hands
reached out to those who had lost so much, until, by the act of
reaching out and grieving, and remembering, we all came shoulder to
shoulder as we understood the extraordinary nature of the loss.
The terrorists who brought down the World Trade Center thought they
could shake the foundation of this country. They didn't understand that
the foundation isn't concrete and steel; it is our people, it is our
commitment--our commitment--to freedom and democracy, and to each
other.
So today, we remember those we lost, and we rededicate ourselves to
preserving the memory of their lives, and to defeating the terror that
took them.
Our military men and women in Afghanistan and those fighting terror
around the globe carry with them our pride, and our hopes.
In the most fateful struggles in human history, freedom has triumphed
over the worst forms of tyranny, and we will defeat the tyranny of
terror as well.
On March 11, 6 months after the attack, Valerie Webb, a 12-year-old
who had lost her only living parent in the World Trade Center, flipped
a switch, sending two towers of light rising into the darkness over
Lower Manhattan.
Someone compared that memorial to a national votive candle. Others
compared it to the lives that were lost: beautiful, powerful, and
fleeting. On April 14, as planned, that temporary memorial was
extinguished.
At sunset tonight, in Battery Park, New York's mayor will light a
flame to commemorate the victims of that day. Unlike the towers of
light, that flame will not be extinguished--it will be eternal.
That flame will burn within sight of another eternal flame--the
symbolic flame from the torch held by the Statue of Liberty.
Those two eternal flames carry with them two eternal promises.
The torch held by the Statue of Liberty is our Nation's promise that
we will never yield in our determination to be a light to all those who
seek freedom.
And the flame that will be lit tonight is our promise that though we
may be slowly, steadily walking the path from remembrance to recovery--
we will never forget.
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