hard to do was preserve a lot of the dignity of the survivors and their families. so we tried not to go into too much about it i'll be glad to talk to you about it but also some of the firefighters who work intimately involved in removing the remains and searching for them. so we try not to dwell on that too much. it was horrific. and like i said, some of them want to talk about that off-line, be glad you. but it was awful but it was terrible and you can imagine a plane flying five miles an hour hitting and masonry building. there was bad stuff with it. anybody else? okay. thanks for listening and thanks for coming in such lousy weather. [applause] ..

definite >> that flag that was so iconic 10 years ago now in place again

today and this is the scene of the memorial park paying tribute to those who died on the morning of september 11. a reminder that on all c-span networks and c-span radio, we are taking you to the scene of the ceremonies right now live on c-span. the ceremony continues at the world trade center as family members read the names of the nearly 3,000 who died on this morning, 10 years ago. and from shanksville, pennsylvania, where united flight 93 crashed into the side of a pennsylvania farm in somerset county not far from pittsburgh, the ceremony will get underway at about 10:00 eastern time and live coverage on c-span3. here's a look at the president's schedule on c-span 1. we'll be following him throughout the day. he is right now at the world trade center site along with former president george w. bush and former first lady laura bush and current first lady, of course, michelle obama in attendance for the ceremonies at the world trade center. and then the president will be

in shanksville, pennsylvania where he will lay a wreath at the site of the memorial service and at the pentagon at 3:35 this afternoon also laying a wreath at the park. at 8:00 tonight the president will be at a tribute taking place at the kennedy center. we'll have live coverage of all of this on c-span 1. [inaudible conversations]

>> the ceremonies are timed to reflect that the moment the trains struck the world trade center in new york which is why about 8:46 we heard from new york mayor michael bloomberg and the plane that hit the pentagon at about 9:30 eastern time which is when the ceremonies will take place just outside of the pentagon in virginia. robert hogue reflecting on the events of september 11. here's his story. >> just prior to the event, i was standing at the window here you can see there's columbia pike, arlington cemetery in the river over here and i was standing here discussing with our corporal really how vulnerable the building was and the fact that we are in the flight path for the national airport. so recognizing that vulnerability and i think everybody recognized our vulnerability, i left; went through the door, took a left to go see the boss who's literally

on the other side of this wall here and somewhere between the door and there, boom! that's when it all came apart. >> and when you say it all came apart, what happened? what personally happened to you? >> you have to recognize the floor itself literally just broke away from the building. on the other side of this wall is an expansion joint that runs from the outer wall all the way to the interior wall and the floor broke away along the line of the expansion joint. and the ceiling all came down. lights, pipes, wires, concrete -- i mean, everything. but in chunks. this entire false sealing -- all of this came down plus some of the storm that it was anchored to. again the floor broke open and you could look directly down into the fire. obviously, the smoke had a pretty direct route into this office and it began to fill very

quickly with smoke. the door -- the outer entrance was jammed shut because of the weight of the upper floor collapsed on top of it it was very fortunately our young corporal could open it. and in the meantime we were picking ourselves up off the floor trying to figure out what just happened. i happened to land in front of my boss' doorway and his windows have exactly the same view and i was able to -- looked up just in time to see the fireball rolling out past the window. after that, it took a few minutes to sort of dealing with the physical effects of the blast, you know, the compression effect. it's like having your nervous system reset kind of like having your body slammed in a door. i mean, your whole body at one time. and it takes a minute or two to adjust to that. your vision is affected. my hearing -- i've lost all the hearing in my left ear as a result of the blast. in those critical few minutes we knew we had to get out.

we collected ourselves. got to the door. corporal got the door open. we were able to get across the hall. get our folks out across the hall and, of course, at that point -- i mean, that was several minutes had already passed. the floor was now pulling away from the building. you can see the gap opening and the hallway was rapidly filling with that heavy black smoke and then we had to figure out where to go. i mean, as you'll leave there's really only two ways out of this office. you can go north or you could go south and we had to figure out. the fire literally -- all up and down this west face here. in fact, i have the photograph if you'd like to see. this is where we are for you. imagine there's a floor here. these are my windows dooern. special assistance windows. this is peter murphy's window. he's the counsel for the commandant. this is where the plane is.

you can still see some of the hole right here but the plane basically hit in all here and took out the structure, the floors came up and broke away and at that point you got an out of control fire. so pretty terrifying. >> did you colleagues who did not make it? >> not on this floor. this floor to my knowledge, everybody survived. and our injuries are -- i mean, in comparison very minor. i lost some hearing. i lost my left ear. i'll gladly make that trade again. i walk out of here with my life. the people below us were not that lucky. >> robert hogue is the deputy council marine corps commandant reflecting on the one-year anniversary of the events of september 11 and this is what the scene looks like 10 years later, what was once a grassy area is now a park paying tribute to those who lost their

lives on board at the american airlines flight and at the pentagon. here's a look at the timeline what happened on this morning 10 years ago. the first plane hit the first tower -- it was an american airlines flight 11 at 8:46 am. many people at that point thinking that it was a terrible accident on what was a crystal clear day on the east coast. but, of course, all that changed at 903 when united airlines flight 175 struck the south tower and immediately the country knew this was an act of terrorism and then at 9:37 just about a half hour later american airlines flight 77 struck the pentagon. the south tower collapsed shortly before 10:00 at 9:59 am. the united airlines flight 93 crashing in shanksville, pennsylvania, just a couple minutes later at 10:03 am and many feared that plane was heading to washington, d.c., as we heard from yesterday president bush many thought it was heading to the u.s. capitol

and then at 10:28 am 10 years ago the north tower of the world trade center collapsed. here's a look at the death toll. 2600 lives lost at the world trade center flight -- world trade center site. american airlines 11 with 87 people on board and united airlines fight 175 with 60 on board. at the pentagon 125 deaths, military and civilian. 59 people on board american flight 77. and in shanksville, pennsylvania, 40 names now etched in marble. those 40 passengers on board flight united 93. again, a reminder that c-span and c-span2 and c-span3 live coverage. you're watching live scenes from outside of the pentagon here on c-span2. on c-span 1 continuing ceremonies of lower manhattan the side of the world trade center site and c-span3 live coverage of the ceremony that will take place on shanksville, pennsylvania. all of these events are also posted online at c-span.org and

a reminder that we'll have a musical tribute and the remarks of president barack obama. we'll watch the scene. here is defense secretary rhythms who was at the pentagon on the morning of september 11, 2001, the ceremonies led at the pentagon by vice president joe biden. leon panetta and the chairman of the joint chiefs admiral mike mullen live and continuing coverage on the c-span networks. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

[inaudible conversations] ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ [inaudible conversations]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ [inaudible conversations]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] >> ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the united states department of defense, we couple you to the pentagon observance ceremony in remembrance of the 184 lost at the pentagon and on american airlines flight 77 on september 11, 2001. please stand and welcome of the vice president of the united states, joe biden, the secretary of defense, leon panetta and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, admiral michael mullen.

[inaudible conversations] >> please remain standing for the presentation of colors, the performance of the national anthem and the invocation delivered by the united states chief of chaplains major donald rutherford.

[presentation of colors] oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the

rocket's red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave [presentation of colors]

[presentation of colors] >> let us pray. we're gravely that you have always sustained and protected our great nation. our forefathers looked to you their creator when they declared our independence. year after year and generation after generation, you have led and blessed america. given that dark day 10 years ago you were with us in had midst of the heartache. we gathered this day on this tenth anniversary to remember the people and events of september 11. remember those who have lost their lives on that morning the families that mourned them with loss. lord god open our hearts today and every day to pay tribute to those who have died. who will remember to honor those who rendered aid with such courage and compassion. remember those who served in the

days that followed and now serve on the front lines of freedom. gather us in this moment today we covet your presence and remind us truly you are our hope for years to come. we ask and pray in your holy name, amen. >> please be seated. 10 years ago at 9:37 the pentagon was attacked. please join us in a moment of silence to join those who perished. [moment of silence]

[moment of silence] ♪ ♪ i once was lost ♪ but now i'm found ♪ was blind but now i see

♪ twas grace that was my ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪

♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff admiral michael mullen. >> mr. vice president, mr. secretary, distinguished guests and most especially families, friends and loved ones of those killed near this spot on this day back in 2001. good morning and welcome. let me begin by offering on behalf of the 2.2 million men and women who wear the uniform of the united states armed forces. by passing my deepest condolences to you for the loss you suffered and the grief you still endure. no music can assuage, no tongue

can express, no prayer alone may dampen the yearning that must fire yet inside you. lives ended in this place. dreams were shattered. futures were instantly altered. hopes were tragically dashed. you come here, we all come here to remember those hopes and to mourn and to honor. but the greatest honor we bestow, the finest tribute we pay lies not in our gathering. it lies in our hearts. it lies in our deeds. it lies in the manner in which and the degree to which we have preserved the very ideals that others tried to kill when they

killed innocent men, women and children. i was struck by the words of a young woman who just wrote a letter to her dead father, a firefighter killed at the world trade center. dear dad, she said, i still feel your presence. you are with me every day. you inspire me to live my life, to help others and to be grateful for each moment. i don't know what the next 10 years will bring, but i do know that i have enough strength, wisdom and support to take on anything. she remains proud of her father, allen and of the sacrifice he made so that others need not. and she has committed herself to proving worthy of that sacrifice. hers is truly the greatest

monument, the most enduring memorial as it is with all of you. you the families have shown the rest of us the way, quietly honoring the memory of your loved ones by how you live and what you do. it's in the children and grandchildren with major league dreams, the college degrees earned, the businesses started, the wedding celebrated, the charity given and the love and the laughter shared these are the things the terrorists could not eradicate. they could bring down the walls but they could not bring down america. they could kill our citizens, but they could not kill our citizenship. and in that spirit and with that pride, a whole new generation

has been inspired to serve, many of them in uniform. indeed, from this place of wrath and tears, america's military ventured forth as the long arm and clenched fist of an angry nation at war. and we have remained at war ever since, visiting upon our enemies the vengeance they were due and providing for the american people the common defense they demand. 2 million men and women have deployed to combat since 9/11. volunteers all. some of them knew a colleague killed here, some of them were but grade schoolers on that day, all of them have remained dedicated to making sure a day like that never happens again. they've done this with great skill and bravery, but they have also done it with a realization learned over time and at great

cost that sometimes we defend best our national interests when we help others defend their own. and that sometimes in war, it isn't the enemy lives that you take that matter most but rather the innocent lives you save. it's a lesson you have helped teach us. and when that war takes the lives of our troops, when it snuffs out out the future of so many bright stars we again look to your example. we wrap our arms around the families of our fallen the way you have wrapped yours around each other. the scottish poet thomas campbell in his poem "hallowed ground" tell us to lead in hearts is what we leave behind is not to die. today we stand on this hallowed ground for those who still live on in our hearts but as we mark

the end of this decade of war and remembrance, i hope we will also follow in the footsteps heegd the better angels of our nature, never forgetting, being grateful for each moment, helping others and most of all, living life and living it well. that is victory. thank you. [applause] ♪ ♪

♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah, since

♪ glory glory hallelujah ♪ glory glory hallelujah ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ amen ♪ amen [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the secretary of defense, leon panetta.

>> mr. vice president, mr. chairman, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen and in particular the families of those that were lost on 9/11. today americans mark 10 years since that calm, september morning, when our country, our people and our way of life came under attack in the worst terrorist attack in the history of the united states of america. as we come together this morning, at this memorial, we do

so knowing that the entire nation joins us in remembering the innocent lives that were on cruelly taken from us at the pentagon, the world trade center, and in shanksville, pennsylvania. for those who survived the attack, and those who lost loved ones on that terrible day, there are no words to ease the pain that you still feel. at this very moment, on this very spot, it is difficult to believe that 10 years ago, this

was the scene of incredible devastation, of horrific fire and smoke, of heroic first responders who were struggling to bring victims to safety, searching for survivors, fighting the flames at this spot, at this very moment. and though 10 years have passed, the wounds are still present. the emotions are still raw. you have always carried the memory of that day with you. and in its aftermath you have shown a strength and a courage

that embodies the character of america. in your determination to remember and to honor the victims, to recover from the injuries, to rebuild your lives, the entire nation finds inspiration and resilience and resolve. as we recall that day of tragedy and trauma, of bravery, heroism, we remember it as a defining moment for all americans. we were challenged by al-qaeda and its vicious hatred aimed squarely at our values. they tried to weak generous. and instead, they made us stronger. in the aftermath, we came together and reaffirmed those

values, our shared belief in liberty and equality, tolerance and fairness. and 10 years later, we begin affirm our commitment to those enduring beliefs. to this day, and by these memorials to each victim, we pledge to never forget the enemy that made this happen, why we fight them and why we will never stop fighting them to make sure that what happens here and in new york city and in that field in pennsylvania never happens again. the strength of our democracy has always rested on the

willingness of those who believe in its values and its will to serve, to give something back to this country, to fight and to sacrifice. above all, to do that in times of crisis. september 11 was such a time. and in the wake of the attacks, a generation of americans stepped forward to serve in uniform, determined to confront our enemies and respond to them swiftly and justly. and for 10 years they have carried that burden of protecting america, relentlessly pursuing those who would do us harm. who would threaten our homeland. and because of their sacrifices, we are a safer and stronger nation today.

and the principal terrorist behind these attacks has been brought to justice. we will never forget the human cost paid by this generation. more than 6,2000 sailors, airmen, marines lost in the lain of duty. like those taken from us in 9/11, we will always remember that they paid the ultimate sacrifice for america. today, we think of their families who have suffered tragedy and heartbreak, that have shown extraordinary resilience and strength. we think of the thousands of veterans who carry the seen and unseen wounds of war, who carry those wounds with them every day and we grieve for those losses

but out of the darkness of this grief, out of the darkness of this sorrow has come the light of inspiration, to serve america, to fight our enemies, to protect the safety and freedom of the american people. and to make our country stronger and better for future generations of americans. at this spot, at this moment, 10 years later this is our solemn prayer and our solemn pledge to ourselves, to our children, to our nation, and to our world. as we commemorate this

anniversary here today, we are obviously honored by the presence of many of our nation's leaders. but in particular, the vice president of the united states. it is my great pleasure to now introduce the leader, a dedicated public servant and my dear friend, joe biden. [applause] >> good morning. mr. secretary, i'm the one who's honored to be given the privilege to speak at such a important memorial ceremony. admiral mullen, speaker boehner, members of our armed forces and above all the family members gathered in front of me who

suffered such a terrible loss at the point years ago. my wife jill and i want you to know that our hearts go out to you. .. >> its precise. you remember.

that god awful empty feeling, remember being sought in your own chest and the feeling. so i want you to know that i personally believe that the courage you are showing today is remarkable. it's hard to combat. you have that sense of overwhelming pride and love, devotion, but also that feeling of all my god. but i want you to know something else. your physical presence here today gives hope to thousands of americans who, under different circumstances, are trying to come to grips with the losses that you had, that they are going through. because when they see, they see you here, you let them know that

hope can grow from tragedy, there can be a second life. my mom used to say chill, with everything terrible, something good will come if you look hard enough for it. in the beginning there was no wiki believe that. you are living proof that those people are still scrambling and looking for the hope. it is possible. so let me say that our thoughts, jill spots, mine, the whole nations thoughts and prayers are with those, all who were wounded in this attack. last night, wounded attack last night. a stark and vivid reminder this work continues. the courage, the determination and sacrifices armed forces afghanistan around the world is literally a standing.

i'll have a little more to say about that in just a moment. ladies and gentlemen, milestones are especially, and especially those that are tragic, compel us to reflect and remember, to honor and with the gods help, to heal because that's what this is ultimately about. so with today above all else we recalled the 148 lives cut short on this site 10 years ago this morning. lives it touches every aspect of our national endeavor. a marine who lost his leg in his life in vietnam but he used what he called a second chance to become a father of five. a three year-old passenger aboard that fateful flight who held her stuff land each night as her parents read her bedtime stories. the secretary who worked for american airlines for 45 years whose colleagues consider her a second mother, and addressed as

mrs. clause each christmas. the navy physicist whose wife said after his death he was a wonderful dancer, i'll never be able to dance with anyone else. he was the perfect partner. but above all, he was a good, caring, and loving man. and so so many others are remembered this morning with a moment of silence in small towns and bustling cities all across this country. but nowhere are the memories more immediate, more vivid, more compelling, more real than in new york city, shanksville, pennsylvania, and right here in northern virginia at the pentagon. although words cannot use the pain of these losses, paying tribute by recalling not just the horror of that day but the heroism as well, but hopefully give you some comfort and stiffened the resolve of this

nation. at 9:36 am thousands of patriotic americans are going about their daily business in the building behind me. in this great citadel of our national defense. and one minute later at 9:37 and unconscionable tragedy struck. but what happened, what happened after that was far more remarkable than the damage inflicted in the building behind me. those who work in this building, many of you in front of me, a thousand more first responders across the region, firefighters, from arlington county, they're fox county, montgomery county, the district of columbia and many others, they spring to action. risking their lives so their friends, their colleagues, and total strangers, people they had never met might live.

from corporals to cafeteria workers, right up the chain of command to the top brass to secretary rumsfeld, who i pay special to the today. i understand he is here. secretary rumsfeld himself did what he did as a young soldier, a young man, and did all his life. you and he and others streamed into the breach between the fourth and fifth corridors of the devastation when it was the greatest, where death came in an instant, but also where there were some survivors to be found. specialists was a tour guide the morning on the far side of the building, so far away in fact he never heard the plane hit. but he shortly felt the promotion. he could have gone home. no one would have blamed him, but he was also a trained emt

who came from a family of firefighters. so when people started streaming out of the building and screaming, he sprinted towards the crash site. four hours, between treating his coworkers and dashing into the inferno, with a team of six men. mickey, a volunteer fire chief in winnsboro maryland 60 miles away, after working all day when he heard that evening at the rescue workers and the pentagon needed a fire truck, a small fire truck, small enough to fit through tight places. he knew he had a 50 4 which was the smallest one around. so fresh off of an all day shift he barreled down the highway and bought the blaze all night with thousands of others. in the dawn, exhausted, covered with soot, 14 hours on the job.

he sat on a bench, confronted a man. a man who he said was wondering aloud, why and i still alive? for had i not been at the dentist, i would have been in the office, my office, totally destroyed. my colleagues gone. y. me? it's a basic american instinct to respond to crises when help was needed, to confront the afflicted, and american instinct summoned by the collective strength of the american people that we see come to the floor in our darkest hours. and instinct that echoes through the ages from pearl harbor to beirut, mogadishu to ground zero, flight 93 to right here in the pentagon.

those in this building that day knew what they were witnessing. there was a declaration of war by stateless actors, bent on changing our way of life. who believed that these horrible acts, these horrible acts of terror directed against citizens could buckle our knees, could bend our will, to begin to break us, to break our resolve. but they did not know us. instead, that same american instinct that sent all of you into the breach between the fourth and fifth corridors, galvanize an entire new generation of patriots. the 9/11 generation. many of them were just kids on that bright september morning,

but like their grandparents, on december 7, 1941, they courageously bore the burden that history had placed on their shoulders. and as they came of age, they showed up. they showed up to fight for their country. and they are still showing up. 2,800,000 of that 9/11 generation moved to join our military since the attacks on 9/11. to finish the war begun here that day. and they joined, they joined knowing that they were in all likelihood going to be deployed in harm's way. and many cases deployed, multiple multiple times in afghanistan and iraq, and other dangerous parts of the world.

those of you who command this building turn this generation of this 9/11 generation into the find a group of warriors the world has ever known. over a decade of war, they pioneered new tactics, mastered new language, developed and employed advanced new technologies. they took on responsibilities once reserved only for those with more seniority. responsibilities that extended beyond the base on the battlefield. to the politics of afghanistan, to the politics of iraq, to the economies of those countries and to the development tasks that ultimately lay the groundwork to leave behind stable countries that will not threaten us. and along with the intelligence

community, and the law enforcement community, they relentlessly took the fight to al qaeda and its affiliates. they were prepared to follow bin laden to hell state, if necessary, and they got him. my god, do we owe those special ops folks and intelligence guys who got him. many of whom who have subsequently lost their lives. but we will not stop. you will not stop until al qaeda is not only disrupted, but completely dismantled and ultimately destroyed. and one more thing. about this 9/11 generation of warriors, never before in our history has america asked so much over such a sustained period of an all volunteer force. so i can say without fear of contradiction or being accused

of exaggeration, the 9/11 generation ranks among the greatest our nation has ever produced. and it was born, it was born, it was born right here on 9/11. [applause] >> and yet, that generations played it an incredible price, 4478 fallen angels in iraq, 1648 in afghanistan, and more than 40,000 wounded in both countries, some of whom will require care and support the rest of their lives. having visited them multiple times like many of you, i am in awe not only by the capability but their sacrifices today and every day. that terrorists who attacked the

pentagon, as leon said, sought to weaken america by shattering this defining symbol of our military might and proud in us. but they failed. and they also feel for another reason, not just this. they fail because they continue to fundamentally misunderstand us as they misunderstood us on that day. for the true source of american power does not lie within that building. because as americans, we draw our strength from the rich tapestry of our people, just looking at the people before me. look at the families before me. the true legacy of 9/11 is that our spirit is mightier. the bonds that unite us are thicker, and the resolve is firm are than the millions of tons of limestone and concrete that make

up that great edifice behind me. al qaeda, bin laden, never imagined that the 3000 people who lost their lives that day would inspired 3 million to put on the uniform and harden the resolve of 300 million americans. they never imagined the sleeping giant they were about to awaken your they never imagined these things because they did not understand what enables us, what is always enabled us, to withstand any test that comes our way. but you understood. you know better than anyone because you knew everything this nation has been attacked, you who particularly where the uniform, every time this nation is attacked, you knew it all the emboldens us to stand up and strike back. but you family members, you also knew something else.

a lot of us didn't know that day. that your loved ones, those who you lost, who we now call heroes, were already heroes. they were heroes do you. they were the father that touched you in at night. they were the ones who knew your fears, even before you express them. they were the brother lifted you up. they were the daughters a major life. and the sun who made you proud. i know. i know in my heart, so do all the people on this stage now, they are absolutely irreplaceable. absolutely irreplaceable. as a speaker you heard me say

yesterday in shanksville, pennsylvania, no memorial, no ceremony, no words will ever fill the void left in your hearts. by their loss. my prayer for you is that 10 years later, when you think of them, 10 years later when you think of them, that it brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. my mom used to say, the courage, -- the courage allies in every man's heart, and her expectation was that one day, one day it would be summoned, well here on september 11, 2001, at exactly 10:14 a.m. it was summoned. it was summoned from the hearts

of the thousands of people who work here to save hundreds. it was summoned in the hearts of all those first responders who answered the call. for courage lies deepest in and beats the loudest in the heart of americans. don't forget it. we will not forget him. may god bless you all. may god bless america most of all. may god protect our troops. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the pentagon memorial. at this time 184 service members from the united states army, united states marine corps,

united states navy, united states air force, and united states coast guard will pay special tribute to the lives lost at the pentagon and on american airlines flight 77 on september 11, 2001, by laying every that each individual memorial. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪