>> the 9/11 ceremony at the pentagon was happening. another was happening at shanksville, pennsylvania, near the site of the flight 93 crash. service included interior secretary sally jewell and members of the pennsylvania delegation. >> 15 years ago today, the course of america changed. in this humble field, here near shanksville, the united states pentagon, the 20 hours in manhattan, and every single home and heart, americans and people abroad. today and everyday, we remember september 11, 2001. first, i want to acknowledge the families of the 40 that are gathered here today. of otherhousands family members of those who lost their lives. you have known the terrible pain of loss. none of us would want to trade places with you, but we honor your sacrifice and those that

gave their lives for the rest of us. we are gathered today among friends and neighbors, visitors and dedicated public servants to join in remembering. i want to give a particular thanks to the public service. steve and jeff, the superintendents of this wonderful new national park site , to the men and women who wear the green and gray of the national park service that tell america's stories, the painful ones, the joyous ones, and those that help us shape a brighter future by learning from the lessons of the past. also, our elected officials who are on stage and in the audience, thank you for your service. you have difficult jobs. you are on the firing line. you are in the election season. we know it is difficult and we appreciate your service. the same to governor wilson. i am sorry he could not be with us. he is with his family, where he needs to be. we could not have done this

dutiful remembrance without the support of many partners. 93 didilies of flight such great work helping us work on land acquisition, planning, designing the memorial, understanding the family perspective that was so important to incorporate throughout. flight 93, people who are long-term partners of the national park service, who assisted with fundraising, programming, marketing, organizing volunteers. i want to give a shout out to the volunteers here. he could not operate this facility or tell this story without your help. for those who give their time , the family and friends of flight 93, please join me in thanks to them. [applause] i also want to recognize that the fundraising to develop this

could not have happened without support of the national parks foundation. thank you, national parks foundation. certainly, the men and women of flight 93 had no idea they would be our nations heroes and heroines or that they would lay down their lives for the nation on that day. or for someone else's nation, as was the case for another. but we come together as their champions because their actions saved the lives of untold numbers of people. for those of you that were old enough to remember that day, we know where we were. a of an alaska the last business trip, about to head home. like so many of us, we found ways to understand, to find solace. i found solace in nature, in the outdoors, but also the company of people that i did not know and people that i did. last week, i saw a brand-new

musical that is about to play in new york in spring. it just opened in washington, d.c. it is called "come from away." it is a wonderful, poignant musical about how people came together in small towns in newfoundland as their planes were diverted from all over the world. on how,great reflection on that day, we saw the worst of humankind and the best of humankind. places like this, where we are today, where we have the opportunity to reflect but also to rekindle our patriotism and what we stand for as a nation, but also what we stand for as human beings. i have had the honor of participating in the annual memorial observance here twice before today. in 2013, my first year on the job, i joined in the evening, a somber walk with the luminarias. morning, the

groundbreaking of the visitor center. we actually put stakes shaved where the visitor center was going. more importantly, the flight cap of 93 was very powerful. last year, as we did the grand opening of this incredible facility that has now welcomed hundreds of thousands of people who passed through to better understand what happened that facebook day -- that fateful day , to try to make sense of the tremendous loss, the bravery, the courage, the are so far, we have had nearly 400,000 visitors just this year. 120,000 individuals, many of you included, opened your checkbooks to build this memorial. many people returned to see the new exhibits and are emotionally moved by the stories, your stories, the stories you shared with us. what a testament to the life and legacy of the passengers and crew of flight 93.

that so many have come to pay their respects. in their own words, visitors have shared their reflections in the visitor center logbook. i would like to share a few of them with you this morning. many of them put into context, what we always struggle to grasp and perhaps even understand. the one person says, united you stood so we could live. you'll never be forgotten. you have shown that normal, ordinary people can be true heroes. another says, " i touched every name on the wall outside as if it was touching them, the way they touch me with her love and -- with their love and courage. i will never forget that day and i will never forget them. and perhaps one of the most striking, by a visitor who has no memory of the her rent this attacks, but proves that americans, no matter what age, will always honor those who fell

on this field. this speaks to the youngsters at 2:00 to -- got up drive here. you may be able to relate to this. this is from a 17-year-old. you have all done a completely selfless act for the good of our nation. i was only two years old at the time. i did not remember it happening. that does not mean i have forgotten what you did. thank you so much for your sacrifice. you will be rewarded in heaven for your courageous deeds. god bless america. rest in peace. so these thoughts prove that this truly is a moving memorial to everyday citizens who came face-to-face with evil, but through courage and selflessness, saved untold lives another sacred and symbolic american site, the u.s. to capital. this site is the final resting

place, but also a place for us to on or what they have given to all of us. what president lincoln called the last full measure of devotion, when he stood on another pennsylvania field not too far from here. while all of us here will never forget the tragic day, we must acknowledge a growing number of americans, like my grandchildren, who have no direct memories of the attacks. as mike said, the national park service is charged with interpreting moments and people like this for future generations, and to ensure that parks are relevant to all americans, especially now, as the park service enters its second year of service, having celebrated 100 years as american storytellers. historian wallace stegner wrote that national parks are absolutelyamerican, democratic. they reflect us at our best, rather than our worst. but he could just have easily

been referring to the passengers and crew of flight 93. that when confronted with unspeakable realization of their situation, those 40 men and women formed a plan, and did the most democratic thing imaginable, they voted before deciding to carry it out. national parks preserve what is best about our country, including the foundations of the democracy on which our nation was established. from places like independence hall in philadelphia, to gettysburg, to seneca falls and flight 93, americans for 13 -- america's or hundred 13 national parks buying together the diverse stories of our shared history and unique cultures that make up our singular national story. the 40 heroes and heroines of flight 93 well understood that the collective strength of our nation is found in a creed that is as old as the founding of america itself. e pluribus unum.

out of many, we are one. thank you. [applause] that brings me great pleasure to introduce to you gordie felt, president of families of flight 93. his brother edward died on that day. he has worked tirelessly to make sure the voices of the families are heard and reflected in the visits here. his day job with his wife donna that servesg a camp autistic children, and i feel blessed to have known him since 2013 when i first came here. he is a true champion for this site and for everything that the heroes and heroines of flight 93

demonstrated. felt. welcome gordie [applause] >> good morning. regional director caldwell, secretary jewell, senator casey, reverend britain, senator toomey, congressman schuster, families, friends, tom, wally, so many wonderful people i see in front of me today. members havety taken time to join us and commemorate the 15th anniversary of september 11, 2001. i welcome you and offer you my gratitude. i offer my gratitude for actively remembering our losses. the individuals, the collective

the heroismembering and the life-changing events on thefolded here hallowed ground of the flight 93 national memorial as well as in new york and at the pentagon. with each year we have seen this beautiful memorial rise before our very eyes, growing from a few bales of hay on yonder hill, that served as a beginning of a temporary memorial, to the development of our sacred ground, the wall of names, the visitors and learning centers, the pedestrian bridge, and all the aspects of our memorial designed to stand before us today. our final design aspect to be completed is the tower of voices that will stand at the entrance of this memorial. a 93 foot tall tower containing 40 wind chimes that will represent the voices of our loved ones, standing proudly and

defiantly, to be seen by all who enter this historic site. day in forward to the 2018 when we can dedicate this tower, and be able to say we have done our best to create a proper memorial that future generations can learn about the 40 unique heroes that helped change the course of history on that dark morning 15 years ago today. yet, today is about so much more than the surrounding structures, our losses, and the effect of september 11 on our lives. today is a time where we can devote our entire and collective consciousness to remember the 40 passengers and crew members of united flight 93. most of us here today do not need marble walls, a tower of windchimes, or even a visitors center to remind us of the sacrifice made here 15 years ago.

the local community of shanksville and surrounding communities of somerset county do not need to be reminded of how their lives were and continue to be affected by september 11. many politicians in washington, d.c. don't need to be reminded that if it were not for the actions of our 40 heroes, their lives, the course of our country's future would be more drastically altered that day. we remember, we embrace the memory of each and every one of the 40 brave heroes. for as long as we live, as long as we remember, their spirits live in this sacred ground, and in our hearts. these structures and design aspects are not for us. they are for those who have forgotten. they are for tomorrow's a -- tomorrow's children, so that the events of september 11, 2001 are not lost in history.

it is important we embrace the lessons learned that day, and take time to record a factual accounting of the events here at the flight 93 national memorial, that unfolded before many of our eyes that morning. time will eventually erode all emotional connections to september 11. if there is nothing left to remember beyond emotion, there is nothing left to remember. please, don't let september 11 become just another day. i fear the day that september 11 on the nearest monday, providing a long weekend and an excuse for a picnic. fight to remember. let your remembrances guide to -- the way you conduct yourselves in your everyday lives. tell stories of september 11 and encourage a new generation to learn about that day. be better. be braver.

be stronger, be more willing to stand against tyranny. remember, the lessons we learned on september 11, that as a community, as a country, as a world, we stand stronger together, rather than as individuals. thank you. [applause] ♪

singing]

[applause] >> let me first thank the choir again for those words. they give us comfort and hope in -- and our country is blessed by

their talent. --erend britain, golden gordon felt and the families of flight 93 to our here, secretary jewell, michael caldwell at all at the mark national park service, congress and schuster, -- congressman schuster, cardinal miller, tom mcmillan, and again, the choir, we gather at this sacred site to do a number of things. of course, we gather to remember and to express gratitude. we certainly gather to mourn and we hope, to comfort. we are reminded of those words from the beatitudes, blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. we hope today we can provide a measure of comfort. of course, part of today is to pay tribute, to pay tribute to

those 40 americans, remarkable people that we remember today. so we gather to pay tribute to them, but also, to draw inspiration from their lives, and certainly, from their actions on that horrible day, in this place. it is very difficult to come up with the right words. sometimes, you have to turn to scripture, and sometimes to prayer, and to hymns. the choir was, as we were coming "america theging beautiful." it is a great anthem part, os in a pertinent beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife who more than self there -- their country

loved." what a good description. maybe the best description of their actions on that day. of course the hymn goes on to , say, oh beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years. there may not be a better word to describe those 40 americans than that single world -- that "patriot." because in that moment, in that hour, they had to prove themselves to be patriots. we all hoped we could do the same. i'm not sure that i could. but in that hour of horror, they acted, like so many generations of americans before them, on battlefields across the world, and indeed, on battlefields here in the united states. but they acted to save the lives

of others, people they didn't know, people they would never meet, people may be that their families would never know or ever meet. patriotsremember those on this day, who did see beyond the years to a better day, to a day when others wouldn't be so threatened by the horror of terrorism. them,s day, we pray for we pray for their families, of course, and we pray for our families, but in a special way for day like today, we pray ourselves, too, that we may be worthy of their valor. thank you very much. [applause] >> now, i want to introduce to you my colleague, senator pat toomey. [applause]

senator toomey: thank you, senator casey, representative schuster, secretary jewell. the members of the park service, a special acknowledgment and thanks to the friends of flight 93 for having me here today. im honored to be in the presence of the family and friends of the heroes of -- of flight 93. of septembertory 11, two thousand one, of course, is the story of darkness of the most brutal and degraded aspects of humanity and the many innocent lives lost at the hands of terrorists. but in the face of that darkness, september 11 also reminds us of the best of humanity, the heroes who are all around us on that day. americans who performed extraordinary acts of valor and self-sacrifice. we remember the first responders who ran up the stairs of the world trade center to save lives

, and to enable other people to run down. military andhe civilian employees at the pentagon who rescued their colleagues from the burning debris. and of course, the 40 passengers and crew members of flight 93 who died here, and sacrificed their lives to save an unknown number of others. this place, this memorial, their heroism, the memory are all very personal for me and my family. like many, i believe the target of flight 93 was the u.s. capitol. i was working in the capitol is -- as a member of congress that day. so it's entirely possible that, because of the heroes of flight 93, i was able to go home to my being, my wife was spared widowed, our two older children grew up with their father.

and our youngest was able to be born. find will never be able to the words to adequately express the appreciation that we have to the 40 heroes of flight 93. but what we can do is, we can do our part to keep the memory alive. and we have a duty to do this, for this and future generations, to remember both the evil that killed nearly 3000 people, but also the virtuous nest and bravery that saved so many more. spoken withi have our children about the courageous acts of the 40 on flight 93, and in fact, two years ago, my wife and our kids were here for the groundbreaking of the fitters are -- the visitors center, driving in the

stakes that defined the ground for which the visitor complex would be built. this is one small way that we can do our part to remember the important history that occurred here. more, than anybe other state, the grounds of pennsylvania have been hallowed by critical moments in american history, valley forge, gettysburg, and 15 years ago field, history was made again. our state is the birthplace of heroes. it is the final resting place of heroes. our country and the world are safer and more free because of them. the passengers and crew of flight 93 are among our heroes in pennsylvania. god bless the souls and the brave americans, and god bless america. thank you. [applause]

it is now my pleasure to introduce congressman bill shuster. [applause] representative schuster: thank you, families of flight 93, secretary jewell, all the members of the park service, senators, and reverend, for me, it is truly an honor to be here today with you. always, as i visited and have many times, i am humbled to be standing at this spot. today is a day of remembrance, of the 40 and their heroic act of stopping an attack on our capital. they were the first counter attack in the war on terror, and we should always remember and honor them for what they did on that day and in those hours. also, their resolve. we must resolve to never, ever let this happen again in our country.

on september 11, i was in the capitol complex in washington, where we believe flight 93 was headed for the capital. so the 40 passengers and crew will forever hold a special, personal meaning for me and my family. have created a beautiful and appropriate national memorial here, so it looks quite different than it has in the past, with the open fields that were here during past anniversaries. that it is a beautiful -- but it is a beautiful memorial to remember. many things in our nation have changed over the last 15 years, but i believe if you have not. the first have -- the first is we have not forgotten. , across america, people are holding ceremonies like this, remembering 9/11 and what happened to our nation. the other thing that hasn't changed is i believe we have our hope and i know we still have it.

hope for a more peaceful world. which,r a united states i believe, is the greatest nation in the history of the world. we need to hold onto that, and keep the faith. as andy dufresne says in one of my favorite movies, "the shawshank redemption," "honor -- hope is a good thing. maybe the best of things. and no good thing ever dies." i am honored to be here today. god bless the families and the souls of the 40, and may god continue to bless the united states of america. [applause] >> the newark boys chorus has provided us with beautiful and touching music for today's program. they sound wonderful. please give them a round of applause. [applause]

>> absolutely beautiful. thank you all for joining us today and helping us honor the memory of the passengers and crew of flight 93. the visitor center will open to the public at noon, and you're invited to join us at the memorial plaza at 12:40 p.m. for the wreathlaying at the wall of names. ladies and gentlemen, please stand while the u.s. navy ceremonial guard retires the colors. when the colors have been retired, these be seated to allow family members to enter the visitor center. and then, i think, i don't know musicaly have skipped a number? ok. that is two years in a row, i think, i have done that. we will do a musical number, then retire the colors. thank you.

we will get this right. once you tell the navy to go, they go. [laughter] we will now actually have a closing, closing music provided by the new arc boys chorus. give me hope, then come and sing wherever you go. thank you very much. ♪ listen to the sound of my

voice ♪ ♪ can you feel the beat of my heart ♪ listen to me simple ♪ very ♪ give us hope ♪ my voice is calling ♪ can you see ♪ look in my eyes ♪ give us hope and we will show you the way ♪ ♪ listen to the sound of my voice calling ♪ ♪ can you feel the beat of my heart pounding ♪ listen to me we are the future

give us hope ♪ my voice is calling ♪ can you see ♪ look in my eyes ♪ give us hope and we will show you the way ♪ look in my eyes ♪ tell me what you see ♪ give us hope ♪ my voice is calling ♪ can you see look in my eyes ♪ give us hope and we will show you the way ♪ ♪ give us hope, my voice is

calling ♪ ♪ can you see, look in my eyes ♪ can you feel ♪ give us hope and we will show you the way ♪ ♪ show you the way ♪ my voice is calling show you the way [applause] >> tonight on c-span, q&a with author and columnist david johnston. that is followed by british prime minister theresa may taking questions from the house of commons. later, we will show you the 9/11 memorial services that lace today in washington dc and

shanksville, pennsylvania. ♪ announcer: this week on "q&a," author and columnist david cay johnston. mr. johnson talks about his book "the making of donald trump: a critical take on the 2016 presidential nominee." ♪ brian: david cay johnston, a book called "the making of donald trump" is your latest and you say in the book that in the spring of 2016, you talked to mr. trump on the phone. what was that about? david: i was working on a "politico"