[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H4234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  REMEMBERING THE 22ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 TERROR ATTACKS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, yesterday marked the 
22nd anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. I rise today to 
remember the innocent lives that were lost.
  At 8:46 a.m., American Flight 11 flew into Tower 1 of the World Trade 
Center. Not long after that, Flight 175 roared over lower Manhattan 
into Tower 2.
  While Americans around the country were grappling with the events 
that just transpired, a third plane, Flight 77, crashed into the 
Pentagon, the center of our Armed Forces and national defense.
  In southwest Pennsylvania, the fourth flight, United 93, originally 
headed to San Francisco, was hijacked and made an abrupt turn toward 
Washington, D.C. But because of the brave passengers and crew members 
who attempted to take back the plane, it crashed into a field in 
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
  In the days, weeks, months, and now two decades that followed 
September 11, our country joined together to face the very evil which 
attempted to take us down.
  We will forever be indebted to our servicemen and servicewomen who 
join the fight to protect our freedoms, and we must remember the 
sacrifices made by our servicemembers and their families every day 
since.
  While today's world has grown no less dangerous, we as Americans are 
resilient. We will continue to fight the evil and terror that exists 
today, and we will continue to be a beacon of the freedom to the world.
  Let us reflect on the gift of life so tragically lost at the World 
Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a 
field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
  Let us honor the memory of every American who perished on that 
fateful day. Their legacies will be forever intertwined with the 
strength and courage that defined our great country. We will never 
forget, not 22 years later, not ever.
  Madam Speaker, this message of ``never forget'' was evident on Friday 
when I attended the Penn State University's 9/11 memorial service. This 
service is held the Friday before September 11, usually before a home 
football game, to unite the community ahead of Patriot Day. For the 
entire weekend, families, students, and guests in State College saw the 
flags and remember the innocent lives taken from us that day.
  Students from college Republicans, college Democrats, the student 
body government, and members of the Penn State community joined 
together to remember the innocent lives lost.
  In front of Old Main, the community placed 2,977 flags, each one 
representing a soul, a person, a family member that was taken from us. 
We also read the names of the 10 Penn State alumni who died in the 
attacks.
  At the beginning of the memorial, Hunter, a sophomore at the 
university, said that while he was born 2 years after the attacks, he 
recognizes the importance of taking the time to remember that fateful 
day.
  This is what we mean when we say, ``never forget.'' Those who lived 
through the day will always have the date burned into our minds. It is 
the actions of those who were not yet born that show Americans will 
truly never forget.
  We will also remember that we are and always will be the land of the 
free, only because of the home of the brave.
  May God continue to watch over our first responders, our men and 
women in uniform, and all those who keep us safe.

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