flag that flew over ground zero on that fateful day. some people decided they would have the flag for the country. everyplace it went, it was mended with portions of other flags, with fragments of our history. for those of us who have the privilege of stitching the fly, included blue threads from the flag that cover the body of abraham lincoln after he was assassinated. that was another great tragedy that befell our nation. think of it, been unified across the generations, across the country, across communities, by this flag. when i saw the blue threads from abraham lincoln's memorial flag, i was reminded of the speech he made early on where he talked about the silent

artillery of time. for the families, friends, and loved ones of those who died on 9/11, may be silent artillery of time help to diminish their pain and grief. but time will never diminish the respect we have for the memory of those who perished and those who came to their rescue. 10 years ago, we lost many people. today and in the future, we will never forget them. that is for sure. the tragedy of september 11 will always be emblazoned in the hearts, minds, and on the character of america. i join our chaplain in invoking god's blessing on the memory of those we lost. may god bless our first responders, all of you and those who serve, and your families. may god continue to bless the united states of america. when i leave here, i will go to

the airport and go to new york to be part of our congressional delegation to join the president in the observance at ground zero. i will take with me in the profound statements and sentiments i see here today and see every day in response to 9/11. thank you for that connection to our great country and that concern for the american people. again, may god bless you. may god bless america. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, speaker. i would like to introduce our next speaker, the chief of the firefighters, chief joanne hayes-white. [applause] >> good morning. thank you for all being here. i would like to acknowledge the

president of the police officers association and the president of local 798. captain tom o'connor. thank you for organizing this even today. i would also like to acknowledge mayor lee and congresswoman pelosi for your unwavering support for our members and first responders and always prioritizing public safety. as we reflect on the tragedy of september 11, 2001, we will never forget that nearly 3000 innocent victims lost their lives and the soul of the nation was changed forever. we have vividly remember the horrific sides of the world trade center in new york, at the pentagon in virginia, and at the crash site in pennsylvania. hundreds of those who perished where people sworn to serve and protect. 343 firefighters, 50 law

enforcement officers, 37 from the port authority pd, and others from new york pd. we each remember that day. we remember the tragedy we face as a nation under attack. we also remember how we came together a san franciscans, neighbors, and partners. the city came together as a family to ensure that all those were safe and that our loved ones were free from harm. one of the most important ways to honor the memory of the innocent victims is to continue to strengthen our collective effort, to maintain vigilance, to enhance our preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. it is a shared responsibility. we all play a role in being resilienct neighborhoods, citie, and states that are a foundation for a strong nation. we can accomplish much more when we work together. over the last decade, incredible progress has been made in integrating collaboration into

our culture. i see the elements of the nerd program. the red cross is here today. thank you for being here today and being part of the solution and effort. >> the chief of police. >> good morning. i would also like to thank you for joining us here today as we honor the americans lost their lives 10 years ago. is an american tradition to honor fellow citizens who have made the ultimate sacrifice. congresswoman pelosi quoted abraham lincoln earlier. i think what he also said 150 years at the dedication of the national cemetery at gettysburg applies as much today as it did then. lincoln said that the world will little note nor long remember what we said here, but it can never forget what they did. over 2900 people were killed 10 years ago in the attacks on the

world trade center. for the 16 of those who perished or our brother and sister firefighters -- 416 of those who perished work our brother and sister firefighters. 25,000 other lives worse. because of them. none of us will ever forget where we were on the morning of september 11, 2001. at police headquarters in san francisco, we watched in horror as the images were replayed on every channel. we learned one of the airplane is believed to be hijacked was heading to san this is good. later, we learned flight 93 went down in pennsylvania. in the days that followed, we heard stories of incredible heroism in which the passengers engaged and saved the lives of others. as we came to grips with the events of that day, a recurring theme emerged.

all those police officers and firefighters rushed into the burning buildings as everyone else was trying to get out. i think we were equally surprised at fire stations and police departments around the country. what did they think we would do? as first responders, we are sworn to russia in 1 everyone rushes out. that is what we do every day -- we are sworn to rushed in with everyone else rushes out. that is what we do every day. we're proud to be police and firefighters. we were also proud to be americans. we remember the sacrifices made that day. let us remember again the words of abraham lincoln that we show increased devotion to the cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion trade we will highly resolve that these dead will not have died in vain.

this will be with us every day. remember how we came together as a country 10 years ago? young people volunteered in record numbers to defend this country. american flags seemed to be everywhere almost in an instant. they adorned every uniform, clifford every house, every car antenna, and were spread -- flew from every house and car antennae. the public said thank you in every way they could. we need to come together and stay together to keep the memory of our fallen brethren alive. we are committed to making this city safe. i want to thank everyone who made today's remembrance possible. i pray that we always remember

10 years ago today so that the memory of those who perished will never be forgotten. [applause] >> the president of the san francisco firefighters local 798. [applause] >> 10 septembers have come and gone. no changing of the season's can erase the images of that day. no passage of time to take away the meaning of this moment. again we pause and remember. we remember the lives lost. on the day that marks the senseless deaths, we try to recall the beauty of the lives the victims lived. the memorial's today and tomorrow allow us to remember their time on earth and tell their families and loved ones we have not forgotten them and that we never will. we especially on those who gave their lives so that others could

live. we are the brave men and women who rushed into harm's way. we pay tribute to the sacrifice made and the courage displayed by police officers and firefighters rushing into the burning towers and pentagon. we watched in horror as the towers collapsed knowing that our colleagues were inside. those are acts of heroism the nation will never forget. it is natural for us to focus on those images and that morning. throughout history, images serve as defining moments. the images of the airplanes crashing into the towers, the debris cascaded through manhattan, the smoke rising from the pentagon, and firefighters and police officers rushing upstairs while others rushed out. there are other images we should remember as well. there are images from the days after september 11. a young boy wearing a plastic fire helmet standing guard. a little girl leaving flowers outside american embassy in

moscow. candlelight vigils held across the world. 100,000 canadians gathering in ottawa, all of these people sharing and our sorrow. the images we should remember our that the most terrific ax imagine brought out the most noble among those around the globe. today it brings out the most noble again. let us stand strong with that spirit. let us not focus on the evil of that day but on the capacity for that dwells inside all of us. that may be the greatest moral we can participate in for those who perished. that may be the greatest way to honor all of those who were taken from us on that day. let us focus on our impulse to say, serve, and demonstrate compassion and understanding. iseptember10 septembers have cod

gone and left the fat-- left usa legacy to remember and serve others. that is our duty for this september and for a lifetime of septembers. thank you. [applause] >> in the years that have followed 9/11, our country has faced many challenges. despite two assertions and our 10-year involvement in the middle east, much controversy and paint has taken place -- much controversy and pain has

taken place. we must remember that there is more that unites us than divides us and their release has been. in the sons and daughters of the greatest generation, being part of a democracy that was created by immigrants and maintained over the last 250 years by americans, we have found ourselves to be strong, determined, powerful, and brazilian people whose strength has been and always will be our diversity and the democratic process that allows us to debate and express our ideas in a free and open society. we thank all of you very much today for coming here and sharing with us on our day of solemn remembrance of 9/11, 200 1. i think we have heard sirens behind us at least five times. we have heard officers

responding to the needs of san franciscans. that is what we will continue to do to are the people of san francisco. i would ask all of us to join the velvet voice of the sfpd in singing "god bless america. " >> >> ♪ us swear allegiance to a land that is free let us all be grateful for a land sof fair as we raise our voices in a solemn prayer

god bless america, land that i love, stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam, god bless america, my home, sweet home god bless america, my home -- our home sweet home ♪ [applause]

>> present arms. ♪ [bugles playing "taps"] ♪

♪ [bagpipes adnd drums] ♪

>> and now i have the pleasure to introduce to you the may year of the great city of san francisco, the honorable edwin lee, followed by the executive

director of the interfaith council, michael pappas. mayor lee. [applause] >> good afternoon, everyone. it is my personal honor and pleasure to join you here today along with the interfaith council and our fantastic orchestra and opera and to celebrate and commemorate this 9/11 event. a decade after the terrorist attacks occurred on it 9/11, we continue to struggle to make sense of the terrible events of that day. while san francisco is more than 3,000 miles away from the attacks on twin towers and the pentagon, we felt the devastation and loss keenly in our city, and we will continue to remember and honor those who passed. it is important to me into the people of san francisco that remember and honor the fallen,

including hometown american heroes like betty young and mark bingham. betty's call for a flight 11 was the first indication that america was under attack, and she relayed vital information to the ground crew. mark russell for control of united airlines flight 93, rather than allow hi-jackers to fulfill their mission. 10 years ago, we also learned about the final moments of san francisco resident melissa hughes who was the victim of terrorism in the twin towers. to read about her final phone calls to her loved ones is just as heartbreaking today as it was 10 years ago. to all the families across the nation who suffered and still suffer today, we offer our profound sympathy saiies. while we remember these and

other victims and first responders, we should take time to reflect on what 9/11 means for all of us and to take to heart president barack obama's call to come together in the spirit of service and unity. there are many events in san francisco, from sporting events to festivals and other community events today, that help us do that while we honor the victims and celebrate the service and heroism of our first responders and military personnel. one such way to commemorate the day with peaceful and unifying nature of music at today's event. earlier this morning, i enjoyed over 500 volunteers with the interfaith council at the hands of the bay -- hands on the bay area. another weekend remember and honor the tragic events 10 years ago is to make sure that the city, it's families and individuals, we are prepared for emergencies, whether man-made or

natural disasters. september marks the national prepared this month, and the city's website 72hours.org stands ready to assist you with your making a family emergency plan, building a disaster could, or need voluntary training. since september 11, 2001, san francisco has greatly improved its ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. just this month i announced the creation of the joint powers authority to govern a bay area wide public safety communications system after the bay area was awarded a $50 million grant to build a broadband communications network for public safety agencies. we know that emergencies do not stop at our city borders, and we must be prepared to seamlessly communicate with other public safety personnel throughout the bay area. we have also strengthened our

infrastructure, trained our personnel, and are preparing the community so that we can rapidly recover from any emergency. it is now 10 years later, and we're more prepared, stronger, and ready. the 9/11 attacks represent an unimaginable tragedy in the history of our country. but at the same time, the lessons learned from that day continue to help us grow and become stronger the events of september 11, 2001 change the world and redefined our nation. not only the scope of these threat -- a tragedy, but also the demonstration of compassion and generosity that occurred in the hours, weeks, and months following. in san francisco and around the country, individuals stepped up to give blood, collect donations, and volunteer their time as a show of support for our nation. let us remember those who

perished 10 years ago, her protected us from great danger and kept our country safe. the first responders who risked their lives for us, the police officers who protected us, and the firefighters who had the courage to keep us from harm, and the paramedics who care for us are all in our hearts today. they're important contribution to serving and protecting our diverse community should always be remembered and acknowledged. it is now 10 years later, and we're more prepared, stronger, and ready. i want to personally thank our men and women, the first responders, who protected us from great danger to keep our country safe. these first responders risked their lives for us every single day. for the police officers who protect us, the firefighters who courageously keep us from harm, and the paramedics who care for

us. our words cannot describe our thankfulness for your heroes and everyday in the sacrifices you have undertaken to keep our community, our city, and country safe. may god bless san francisco. may god bless america. thank you very much. [applause]