Smoke And Flames Rise Over The Pentagon At About 10 A.M. Est September 11, 2001p Following A Suspected Terrorist Crash Of A Hijacked Commercial Airliner Into The South Side Of The Pentagon In Arlington, Va. The Attack Came At Approximately 9:40 A.M. As The Plane, Originating From Washington D.C.’s Dulles Airport, Was Flown Into The Southern Side Of The Building. (Photo By U.S. Navy/Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:54 AM PT – Saturday, September 10, 2022
It has been almost 21 years since the events of 9/11 where terrorists launched simultaneous attacks on the United States.
On Friday, the Pentagon hosted a ceremony commemorating those who lost their lives both at the government facility and at the World Trade Center. Over 184 people, including 125 Service Members were killed at the Pentagon.
When speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks delivered an emotional speech about the events.
“21 years, four flights, two towers, 184 loved ones who perished here at the Pentagon, including 125 service members and civilians in the building. 59 men, women and children aboard Flight 77 and, of course, nine and 11. These numbers will be forever fixed in the minds and hearts of everyone who raised their hands here today and those who didn’t,” Hicks said.
The Deputy Defense Secretary also took time to praise the individuals who came back to work at the facility the day after the tragedy.
“Because as we tell individual stories of 9/11, we also tell the story of the Pentagon itself, of this building and this community, a story of resiliency and renewal, of a reconstruction project born out of ashes, determined to rebuild stronger in the broken places, of a workforce ever committed to its duty that returned to the Pentagon on September 12th and every day since, dedicated to defending our nation,” she said.
Hicks ended her speech by reminding everyone to continue honoring those who perished by sharing their stories and defending our country.
“So on this 21st anniversary of a day that shattered many and shaped many more, let us honor those we lost, those who helped us recover, and those who carry our spirit forward,” Hicks announced. “Like December 7th, November 22nd, September 11th is one of those days that anyone old enough to remember knows where they were and what they were doing. Those of us who were here bear a special responsibility to tell our story.”
In total, nearly 3,000 people were tragically killed in the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.