US marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks with grief and reflection

Reuters — NEW YORK, Sept. 11

Twenty-five years after the deadliest attack on U.S. soil, Americans will pause on Friday to honor nearly 3,000 people killed when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, and to reflect on the legacy of 9/11.

The attacks shaped generations of Americans who lived through that day or grew up afterward, influencing U.S. foreign policy, domestic politics, and public attitudes toward security.

But for many directly affected by the attacks — families of victims, first responders, and recovery workers — the anniversary is a tribute to lives lost under a clear blue sky a quarter-century ago, and the heartbreak that followed.

A Personal Loss

Caroline Ogonowski's father, John, was captain of American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center 47 minutes after takeoff from Boston, killing everyone on board. Ogonowski, now 39, had her first child this year and named him John after her father. She visited his grave with her son last week and will attend a memorial ceremony in Boston on Friday.

"This year, there is a new sadness, knowing they will never know each other," said Ogonowski, who works in disaster relief and humanitarian aid, in a phone interview. "My father will never meet his grandson. My son will never know his grandfather."

"We have a responsibility, for my father and all those lost that day, to ensure we continue teaching future generations what happened, who these people were, who these heroes were, and how our nation came together and became stronger because of it," she added.

Ceremonies Across the Nation

In New York, Vice President JD Vance and four living former presidents, including George W. Bush, who was president at the time of the attacks, will join Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the 9/11 Memorial site in Lower Manhattan for ceremonies alongside families of the victims.

Ceremonies are planned to include moments of silence marking the times when two planes hijacked by al-Qaeda struck the Twin Towers, as well as the collapse of each tower. Families will read the names of all 2,977 victims from New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, along with six people killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

President Donald Trump will mark the moment at the Pentagon. Mourners will also hold ceremonies in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where passengers forced down a fourth hijacked plane originally headed for Washington.

Intergenerational Pain

A generation of Americans who have grown up since 2001 is too young to remember the attacks, but their lives have been fundamentally changed.

The attacks triggered the "War on Terror," leading to:

• The creation of the Department of Homeland Security
• Years-long U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq

The resulting public backlash helped fuel Trump's rise a decade ago, when he vowed to avoid getting bogged down in new overseas conflicts — a promise currently being tested by the ongoing war with Iran.

Domestically, Americans immediately displayed deep unity, patriotism, and sorrow following the attacks. However, Muslim Americans and immigrants from majority-Muslim countries simultaneously faced rising prejudice and hate crimes. Polls find that 9/11 still influences Americans' views of Muslims today. Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim mayor, has faced calls from some Republicans to skip Friday's ceremonies, but he refused.

Lingering Health Consequences

Casualties extended beyond those killed on September 11. Many recovery workers who spent weeks or months at the site, along with nearby residents and others, fell ill and eventually died due to toxins in the air.

Patrick Whelan's father, also named Patrick, was a New York City firefighter who responded to the attacks and worked for months amid dust and debris at the World Trade Center site. In 2020, he was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer linked to exposure to toxic carcinogens, and died on August 22, 2021.

"The government told him it was safe to breathe, and clearly, that wasn't true," the younger Whelan said after a New York City Fire Department memorial ceremony.

Source: Reuters