anniversary. when the passengers and crew realized the plane had been hijacked, they reported the news calmly. when they learned that the terrorists crashed other planes into targets on the ground, they accepted greater responsibilities. in the back of the cabin, the passengers gathered to devise a strategy. at the moment america's democracy was under attack, our citizens defied their captors by holding a vote. the choice they made would cost them their lives and they knew it. many passengers called their loved ones to say good-bye then hung up to perform their final act. one said they're getting ready to break into the cockpit, i have to go. i love you. another said, "it's up to us. i think we can do it." one of the most stirring accounts, todd beimer, a father

of two with a pregnant wife at home in new jersey, asked the air phone operator to join him in reciting the lord's prayer. then he helped lead the charge to the front of the plane with the words, "let's roll." with their selfless act, the men and women who stormed the cockpit lived out the words, "greater love hath no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends." what their brave decision they lost the first counteroffensive on the war on terror. the most likely target of the hijacked plane was the united states capitol. we'll never know how many innocent people might have been lost, but we do know this. americans are alive today because the passengers and crew of flight 93 chose to act and our nation will be forever grateful. the 40 souls who perished on the plane left a great deal behind.

they left spouses and children and grandchildren who miss them dearly. they left successful businesses and promising careers and a lifetime of dreams that they will never have the chance to fulfill. they left something else. a legacy of bravery and selflessness that will always inspire america. for generations, people will study the flight, the story of flight 93. they will learn that individual choices make a difference. that love and sacrifice can triumph over evil and hate. and that what happened above this pennsylvania field lies among the most courageous acts in american history. the memorial we dedicate today will ensure that our nation always remembers those lost here on 9/11. we have a duty beyond memory. we have a duty beyond honoring.

we have a duty to live our lives in a way that upholds the ideals for which the men and women gave their lives, to build a living memorial to their courage and sacrifice. we have a duty to find common purpose as a nation. in the days after 9/11, the response came like a single hand over a single heart. members of congress from both sides of the aisle gathered on the steps of the capitol and sang "god bless america." neighbors reached out to neighbors of all backgrounds and beliefs. the past decade our country has been tested by natural disaster, economic turmoil, anxieties and challenges here at home and abroad. there have been spirited debates along the way. it's the essence of democracy. but americans have never been defined by our disagreements. whatever challenges we face

today and in the future, we must never lose faith in our ability to meet them together. we must never allow our differences to harden into divisions. second we have a duty to remain engaged in the world. 9/11 proved that the conditions in the country on the other side of the world can have an impact on our own streets. it may be tempting to think it doesn't matter to what happens to a villager in afghanistan or a child in africa, but the temptation of isolation is deadly wrong. world of repression, anger and resentment will be a source of never-ending violence and threats. a world of dignity, liberty and hope will be safer and better for all. the surest way to move toward that vision is for the united states of america to lead the cause of freedom. finally, we each have a duty to serve a cause larger than

ourselves. the passengers aboard flight 93 set an example that inspires us all. many followed their path of service by donating blood or mentoring a child or volunteering in desperate corners of the earth. some have devoted their careers to analyzing intelligence or protecting our borders and securing our skies. others have made the noble choice to defend our nation in battle. for ten years our troops have risked and given their lives to prevent our enemies from attacking america again. they kept us safe. they have made us proud and they upheld the spirit of service shown by the passengers on flight 93. many years ago in 1863, another president came to dedicate a memorial site in this state. he told his audience in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot

hallow this ground, for the brave souls who struggled there had consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. he added the world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. so it is with flight 93. for as long as this memorial stands, we will remember what the men and women aboard the plane did here. we'll pay tribute to the courage they showed, the sacrifice they made, and the lives they spared. the united states will never forget. may god bless you all. [ applause ]

before president bush came up to speak, i asked him if he was having a hard time. he said, i was doing fine till i looked at you, all of you. last night, hillary came home after spending the day in new york, and her eyes were red because ten years ago she was the senator representing those 343 firemen and nearly 900

people from cantor fitzgerald who died and all the others. as we remember what happened in new york, at the pentagon and he here, all the rest of us set to honor those who were lost, to thank those who loved them for keeping their memory alive, raising their children, finding the strength to go on with your own lives, i think we should also thank president bush and those who served with him, vice president biden, president obama, those who serve with them, for keeping us from being attacked again. i thank them for that. [ applause ]

speaker boehner, i thank you and the members of congress who are here and who have been in the congress for the last ten years trying to respond to the findings of the 9/11 commission and improve our ability to secure our homeland. but here in this place, we honor something more. i was very moved as you were when president bush calmly recounted the facts of what happened with your loved ones over this field a decade ago. there has always been a special place in the common memory for a

people who deliberately, knowingly, certainly laid down their lives for other people to live. president bush is from texas. i sometimes think since i grew up in arkansas, that's the more important difference between us than their partisan differences. but every child i grew up with was raised on the memory of the alamo, the defining story of texas. why? because those people knew they were going to die. but the time they bought and the casualties they inflicted and the cause of freedom allowed the whole idea of texas to survive and those who live there now to enjoy the life they do.

the first such great story i have been able to find that reminds me of your loved ones occurred almost 2,500 years ago when the greek king of sparta facing a massive persian army took 300 of his finest soldiers to a narrow pass called thermopoly. there were thousands upon thousands of thousands of people. they all knew they were going to die. he told them that when they went. and the enemy said we are going to fill the air with so many arrows that it will be dark. and the spartans said fine, we will fight in the shade. and they all died. but the casualties they took and

the time they bought saved the people they loved. this is something different. for at the alamo and at themopholy, they were soldiers, they knew what they had to do. your loved ones just happened to be on a plane, as mr. penske said. with almost no time to decide, they gave the entire country an incalculable gift. they saved the capitol from attack. they saved god knows how many lives. they saved the terrorists from claiming the symbolic victory of smashing the center of american government.

and they did it as citizens. they allowed us to survive as a country that could fight terror and still maintain liberty, and still welcome people from all over the world from every religion and race and culture, as long as they shared our values. because ordinary people, given no time at all to decide, did the right thing. and 2,500 years from now, i hope and pray to god that people will still remember this. [ applause ] since i am no longer in office, i can do unpopular things. i told the secretary of the interior, the head of your development program, that i was aghast to find out we still need to raise $10 million to finish this place and speaker boehner

and i have already volunteered to do a bipartisan event in washington to get the show on the road. let's roll. thank you and god bless you. [ applause ] >> president clinton, thank you. you know, it feels a bit like the rabbit who wanders into the territory of evils to speak after these folks here. but the difference is the eagles are friends.

they're friends of every one of us here. thank you, each and every one of you. my name is john reynolds. i'm the chairman of the federal advisory commission for the flight 93 national memorial. my colleagues and associates on the commission are interspearsed amongst all of us here today. it's my pleasure to represent an incredible partnership and its focused, constant attention and action over the last decade. it's a partnership that is mostly invisible and unknown except to a few. yet it created a vision coming to fruition here as a result of its diversity and commitment. it has created this national memorial, this national park. in a formal sense, the partnership consists of five groups. they are the families of flight

93, family members of the 40 heroes. the flight 93 task force composed of family members, local people from shanksville, somerset county, pittsburgh and the commonwealth and others. they were the original group of citizens who imagined a national memorial here, worked to consensus and took action to convince the congress and president bush to act. the flight 93 advisory commission is the direct link between everyone else and the department of interior and the national park service. it's made up of 15 people representing the local community, the families, philanthropic, corporate and national interest and nationally recognized public historians. the national fund-raising arm of the partnership and national park service, the keeper of the nation's most important heritage from yellowstone to the statue

of liberty, from concord and lexington to manassass and shiloh to here, all for the people to enjoy, to reflect upon and to learn about our nation from. these partners, however, barely reflect the many people who have given of themselves to arrive at today. they include the flight 93 ambassadors, local people who took it upon themselves to help visitors starting within days of 9/11. [ applause ] first responders and the coroner, the newly-formed friends of flight 93, all of you please join. volunteers, contractors, consultants, public office holders, government employees, construction workers and

governors, generals, cabinet members, senators, congressmen, presidents and first ladies. plus over 75,000 individuals who have donated their money to create this memorial, and the over 1,000 people and firms who share their vision in international design competition. this outpouring has been and continues to be a truly american undertaking. no one asked except to be friendly, who are you? where are you from? why are you here? how come you care? all that is asked is sincerity. the result stands before us today. the people have done this. paul and elaine murdoch architects, formally and

beautifully designed what we see today and what is left to come. their real genius is that they joined the chorus of our partnership of people, listened to it and to the land and to the sky and played back their souls to create this representation of thanks, honor and spirit of the 40 heroes of flight 93 who acted together, fought back, prayed, gave their lives for us all and our nation. the heroes lie there by that big solid stone. they stand tall, mute and solid, speaking to us forever in these 40 panels. each named, each equal, yet as evidenced in the unique veining

in each marble slice, individuals, who knowingly chose, voted and then took action to avert an even greater american tragedy. they are the courage of free peoples everywhere. they are our past, they are our future. this place is the people's gift to america. a national park and a national memorial for as long as this nation shall live. it is my great and humble honor to present this memorial on behalf of the people of this wonderful partnership to all of the people of the united states of america. will all of you please follow mr. jarvis? thank you very much. [ applause ]

[ applause ]

♪ [ america the beautiful plays ] ♪

♪ [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, my fellow americans, i'm honored to be standing here today. standing with two former presidents, president clinton, as he said, the passengers on flight 93 knew that our common humanity is what united us most. well, mr. president, the same can be said of you.

you spent your time as president and the years since deeply committed to embracing and strengthening our common humanity. [ applause ] mr. president, we all thank you for what you've done and what you continue to do. let me also recognize a man responsible for bringing our country together at a time when it could have been torn apart. for making it clear that america could not be brought to her knees, and helping us stand tall and strike back, president george w. bush. [ applause ] in the darkest hour of our generation, your voice and leadership, mr. president,

helped us find our way, and for that, you deserve our gratitude for a long, long time. [ applause ] and i say now to the families who gather here today, i know what it's like to receive that call out of the blue, like a bolt out of the blue. and i know this is a bittersweet moment for you. i want to tell you, you have a lot more courage than i had. you have a lot more courage just by being here today because i know and many others know how hard it is to relive these moments because it brings everything, it brings everything back in stark, stark relief and stark detail.

but i also know like your loved ones, what you probably don't know. that you are literally and inspiration to the thousands of people across this country who right now are feeling the loss of an intense tragedy that they're suffering. they know looking at you, watching you on television today, that there's hope to be found after tragedy. that there's rebirth in the face of death. you, in a sense, are as courageous as your family members were and we owe you all for being here today, just the act of being here. [ applause ] we're here today to remember and

honor 40 men and women who gave their lives so others could live theirs. decent, honorable women an men who never imagined ten years ago tomorrow that when they said good-bye to their children, when they kissed their loved ones good-bye and walked through that door, that they were doing it for the very last time. they didn't know the horror that awaited, but they confronted unimaginable fear and terror with a courage that has been summoned only by the truest and the rarest of american heroes. 40 names etched on each of those panels on the wall, the wall of names, but more than that, their names are going to be as president bush said, etched forever into american history. they join an incredibly elite list of women and men and a long

history filled with ordinary americans doing extraordinary things. men and women are undaunted courage, uncommon resolve and a stubborn, stubborn perseverance in the face of unfathomable challenges. we teach our children these are qualities engrained into our natural character as americans, and i believe they are. they animate our national identity. i believe they'll continue to define america because of the example of the men and women who we pay tribute today, the passengers and the crew on flight 93. none of them, none of them asked for what happened. they didn't go on that plane, they didn't board that plane to fight a war. but when they heard the news, when they found out what happened in new york, they knew

that they were going through was something more than a hijacking. they knew it was the opening shot in a new war, and so they acted. they acted as citizen patriots have acted since the beginning of our country. they stood up and they stood their ground. they thought like captain parker said in lexington, and i quote him, "if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." as many times as i recall and all of you who are not family members, like me, have recalled this incident time and again over the last ten years, i never fail to be astonished, literally astonished by the courage they demonstrated. and so we stand where it began.

we think of them, we think of our nation, we think of our history, we think of the future. we think of it because of them with a confidence knowing that ordinary citizens will continue to stare down fear, overwhelm evil and bring forth hope from what seems to be none. and although we'll continue to amaze us and inspire us when it happens, it should not surprise us, for that heroism is who we are. and that courage lies deepest and beats loudest in the heart of this nation. we know that these 40 men and women were more than ordinary americans to all of you sitting in front of me. they were more than passengers and crews.

they were already heroes. they were already heroes to you. they were the father that tucked you in bed at night. the wife who knew your fears before you even expressed them. they were the brother who lifted you up. they were the daughter who made you laugh. they were the son who made you proud. they're irreplaceable. i know that. we know that. and we know and i know that no memorial, no words and no acts can fill the void that they left in your hearts. my prayer for you is that ten

years later, their memory is able to bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. and i hope you take comfort in knowing that a grateful nation understand that your loved ones gave their lives in pursuit of the noblest of earthly goals, defending their country, defending their families and sacrificing their lives so we can continue ours. those of us who were in washington that day, without knowing it for sure at the time, now know we owe them an overwhelming special, personal, personal debt of gratitude. the collective spirit of your mother, your father, your brother, your husband, your wife, your sister, your best

frie friend, that spirit lives on not only in you, but in your country. it lives on in the cross of steel made from the world trade center beams placed in the pentagon-shaped platform that rests proudly outside the shanksville volunteer fire department. [ applause ] that cross of steel is an enduring symbol of the steel and the spine of this region and the spine of this country. and it definitely lives on in the new generation of warriors, the 9/11 generation. inspired by what happened here, 2.8 million young americans since 9/11, the 9/11 generation, have joined the united states armed forces. thousands giving their lives and tens of thousands being wounded

to finish the war that began he here. maya angelou wrote and i quote, "history, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived. however, if faced with courage, need not be lived again." ladies and gentlemen, we are not here to unlive history. we are here to honor those whose courage made history and is going to inspire generations of americans to come. so i say to you, even as you struggle with this strategy, even as we grapple with the profound loss and devastating grief, we can look up at the heavens and think of those heroes and know, and know with certitude that there is not a

single solitary tragedy that american not overcome. there is not a single moment of hardship that cannot be transformed into one of national strength. the seeds of doubt planted by those who wish to harm us, who instead grow into flowering meadows like this one where we stand today, for they cannot, they cannot defeat the american spirit. we know this with certainty. we know it with certainty because it's the history of the journey of this country at every stage of our history. as president clinton used to know, my mother used to say, courage lies in every heart. and she would go on to say, and the expectation is that joey one

day, it will be summoned. courage lies in every heart. and one day it will be summoned. on september 11th, 2001, at 9:57 a.m., it was summoned, and 40 incredible men and women answered the call. they gave their lives, and in doing so, gave this country a new life. we owe them. we owe you a debt we can never repay. thank you all, and thank you family members, and may god bless you and may god protect our troops. [ applause ]

♪ ♪ spend all your time waiting ♪ for that second chance ♪ for the breakdown will make it okay ♪ ♪ there's always some reason ♪ to feel not good enough ♪ and it's hard at the end of the day ♪ ♪ need some distraction

♪ oh beautiful release ♪ the memories seep from my veins ♪ ♪ and it's empty ♪ weightless and maybe ♪ i'll find some peace tonight ♪ in the arms of the angels ♪ fly away from here ♪ from this dark cold hotel room ♪ ♪ and the airlessness that you fear ♪ ♪ you are pulled from the wreckage ♪

♪ of your silent reverie ♪ you're in the arms of the angels ♪ ♪ may you find some comfort here ♪ ♪ so tired of the straight life ♪ ♪ and everywhere you turn ♪ there's vultures and thieves at your back ♪ ♪ storm keeps on twisting ♪ keep on building on lies ♪ that you make up for all that you lack ♪

♪ it don't make no difference ♪ escaping one last time ♪ it's easier to leave ♪ in this sweet madness ♪ o, this glorious sadness ♪ that brings me to my knees ♪ in the arms of the angel ♪ fly away from here ♪ from this dark cold hotel room ♪ ♪ and the endlessness that you fear ♪

♪ you are pulled from the wreckage ♪ ♪ of your silent reverie ♪ you're in the arms of the angels ♪ ♪ may you find some comfort there ♪ ♪ you're in the arms of your angel ♪ ♪ may you find some comfort

here ♪ [ applause ] i would ask that you all remain standing for the retirement of the colors and the benediction by father gofler.

we bless you and praise you lord god who unites the heavens and the earth. we ask your blessing upon this hallowed place, and all those whose memory we call to mind today by name, grant them eternal rest, and we the living

beg you to reward them for their sacrifice. grant consolation and confidence in the future to their families and all who mourn them their loss today. let's all of us, lord, who are gathered here give us safe travel and may peace await our homes, our place of destination. as you transform this land with new growth, kedeepen the commitment of those whose work to finish begun, bless their efforts and bring it to completion. bless our nation, lord, and all the nations of the earth, that your people may flourish in ordinary living of family and

business and life of government, and that we might enjoy your presence now and forever, amen. as we bring this ceremony to close, i want to thank etch and every one of you for being here today. for the family and friends who live with the losses of september 11th every day, this memorial is a small expression of your nation's gratitude. those who you love are our heroes. they are with us always immortalized in this quiet field. and you have my solemn vow as the director of the national parks service in representing the men and women of that organization that we will be here every day, every year, every future generation to honor those heroes, your husbands and

wives, your mothers and fathers, your sons and daughters, to tell their stories to make sure that america and the world never forgets. would ask that everyone remain in their space while our dignitaries step down the front steps here. and the families, the memorial wall is yours for the next after hour and yours alone. thank you all. thanks for coming. [ applause ] well that's the formal end of this ceremony. they are going to unveil the wall now for the family members of the people who were killed on 9/11 ten years ago tomorrow. that's going to be somewhat of a very emotional event, i would imagine, as all. just like the vietnam memorial wall down on the national mall. it's stirring to see the names

of loved ones lost forever. it takes the human memory and makes it permanent for history. that's quite a moment for these family members to see. they are going to get this time to do this alone. that's the way they arranged this afternoon. i must say i was really impressed by president bush today. i thought he was really wonderful in what he had to say, comparing to event to gettysburg address, by a president who obviously is more eloquent than anybody has been in the presidency in the 200 years of our history. when he came here to pennsylvania to honor the dead at the battle of gettysburg and saying that what was said that day even by him was not going to be remembered as well as what was done in the battle of gettysburg that turned the tide of the war, the civil war. he was great. i thought president bush was very impressive today. of course, president clinton is always amazingly appropriate to the occasion. i sometimes think he is able to come up with these words of his

as he sits there. he is a gifted man in terms of eloquence. of course, vice president biden always a passionate man. it was quite the occasion. it was raining all morning and the skies cleared up wonderfully the last hour or so. it's a muddy day. a sad day. it's bittersweet were the words spoken by one of the dignitaries today. it really is bittersweet. it's talking about not the victim but as much as guts. these people didn't just go down with the plane. they didn't just go into the capitol build as part of the weaponry, but became the enemy of the weaponry. they are the ones that stood up. that's a great patriotic moment here. i think everyone was cheering, even the press, they normally stay away from political speeches. these were anything but political speeches today. it's good to see even at this moment of continual political turmoil in the country that people like vice president biden and former president bush and president clinton and all these

people are able to get together on something that is probably going to be remembered a lot longer than the fight over the debt. i think it was great bill clinton, the former president and john boehner agreed to come down to washington and have a big fund-raiser and try to make enough money to close the deficit in terms of this memorial. the cost of this memorial. they are going to raise apparently $10 million. that is quite a fund-raising dinner. that's going to be an expensive seat to raise $10 million in one night. i guess they are going to hit the people with money in this country to pay it off ended so this can be polished, if you will memorial site. it's going to be a simple site as we learned today. it's not a lot of hot dog stands and people selling whatever. it's going to be a subdued country setting. just the names of the people on those walls. of course, that boulder that sits out there in the meadow that marks the spot where the plane came down is, in fact, the burial spot of all those 40

people who were part of that heroic day that brought that plane down here in pennsylvania rather than the dome of the capitol which could well have been the case, which would have given the enemy quite a victory over us and quite a demoralizing event. you don't replace u.s. capitol buildings in their historic luster so easily. it would have been a triple play for the terrorists had they hit the world trade center, the pentagon and the u.s. capitol. they were thwarted in their last effort by these people we are honoring today. the first real defiant ones of 9/11. they were the first to really know what was going on. they were the first ones to fight it, to storm the cockpit. i will always argue what those words were, something like, let's roll it, let's roll. president bush quoted those words today dramatically. it's a great thing to know americans can fight back, especially civilians that aren't trained to do it. they stand up.

defend their country. i think that's what the ceremony is about today, the ability of regular people, that old phrase, "rise to the occasion." we never know whether any of us have it in us. as i quoted hemingway, grace under pressure. great thing new yorkers showed us, we are as good a country as we thought we were. it's great to be out here. it's great to have this bipartisan show today. it was a show of american patriotism and elegance on the part of the former presidents and vice president biden and the other people here. i'm glad i came out. i'm chris matthews. thank you for joining us for this historic moment. not everybody is watching in america, for those who are, i'm glad you did. flight 93, the heroes of 9/11, the americans who stood up when they heard what was happening. the national memorial dedication has taken place here in shanksville, pennsylvania. msnbc will have special coverage all day tomorrow of 9/11, live from ground zero.

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