Donald J. Trump Forty-Fifth President
(2017 to 2021)
Remarks At Pentagon 9/11 Ceremony September 11, 2017 - Arlington, Virginia
President Donald J. Trump addresses the attendees and the nation
during the remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial on the 16th
anniversary of the terrorist attacks that incurred on September 11,
2001 when hijacked airliners were flown into the Pentagon and Word
Trade Center Towers along with another hijacked airliner crashing into a
Pennsylvania field after heroic efforts by passengers prevented it
being crashed into its intended target. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis
and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. Joe
Dunford hosted the event with President Trump.
Courtesy video by U.S. Army Multimedia & Visual Information
Directorate Edited by USA Patriotism!
Text Version
THE PRESIDENT
I want to thank you, Secretary Mattis,
General Dunford, members of the Cabinet, members of the Armed
Forces, first responders, and most importantly, to the families and
to the survivors: It’s an honor to join you on this very, very
solemn occasion. This is an occasion that is extraordinary, and it
will always be extraordinary.
Before we begin, I’d like to
send our nation’s prayers to everyone in the path of Hurricane Irma
and to everyone suffering through the devastation of Hurricane
Harvey. These are storms of catastrophic severity, and we're
marshaling the full resources of the federal government to help our
fellow Americans in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana,
Tennessee, and all of those wonderful places and states in harm’s
way.
When Americans are in need, Americans pull together --
and we are one country. And when we face hardship, we emerge closer,
stronger, and more determined than ever.
We’re gathered here
today to remember a morning that started very much like this one.
Parents dropped off their children at school. Travelers stood in
line at airports and getting ready to board flights. Here at the
Pentagon and at offices all across the country, people began their
early meetings.
Then, our whole world changed. America was
under attack. First at the World Trade Center, then here at the
Pentagon, and then in Pennsylvania. The horror and anguish of that
dark day were seared into our national memory forever. It was the
worst attack on our country since Pearl Harbor and even worse
because this was an attack on civilians -- innocent men, women, and
children whose lives were taken so needlessly.
For the
families with us on this anniversary, we know that not a single day
goes by when you don’t think about the loved ones stolen from your
life. Today, our entire nation grieves with you and with every
family of those 2,977 innocent souls who were murdered by terrorists
16 years ago.
Each family here today represents a son or
daughter, a sister or brother, a mother or father, who was taken
from you on that terrible, terrible day. But no force on Earth can
ever take away your memories, diminish your love, or break your will
to endure and carry on and go forward. Though we can never erase
your pain, or bring back those you lost, we can honor their
sacrifice by pledging our resolve to do whatever we must to keep our
people safe. (Applause.)
On that day, not only did the world
change, but we all changed. Our eyes were opened to the depths of
the evil we face. But in that hour of darkness, we also came
together with renewed purpose. Our differences never looked so
small, our common bonds never felt so strong.
The sacrificed
[sanctified] grounds on which we stand today are a monument to our
national unity and to our strength. For more than seven decades, the
Pentagon has stood as a global symbol of American might. Not only
because of the great power contained within these halls, but because
of the incredible character of the people who fill them. They secure
our freedom, they defend our flag, and they support our courageous
troops all around the world.
Among the 184 brave Americans
who perished on these grounds were young enlisted servicemembers,
dedicated civil servants who had worked here for decades, and
veterans who served our nation in Korea, in Vietnam, and in the
Middle East. All of them loved this country and pledged their very
lives to protect it. That September morning, each of those brave
Americans died as they had lived: as heroes doing their duty and
protecting us and our country. We mourn them, we honor them, and we
pledge to never, ever forget them. (Applause.)
We also
remember and cherish the lives of the beloved Americans who boarded
Flight 77 at Dulles Airport that morning. Every one of them had a
family, a story, and beautiful dreams. Each of them had people they
loved and who loved them back. And they all left behind a deep
emptiness that their warmth and grace once filled so fully and so
beautifully.
The living, breathing soul of America wept with
grief for every life taken on that day. We shed our tears in their
memory, pledged our devotion in their honor, and turned our sorrow
into an unstoppable resolve to achieve justice in their name. The
terrorists who attacked us thought they could incite fear and weaken
our spirit. But America cannot be intimidated, and those who try
will soon join the long list of vanquished enemies who dared to test
our mettle. (Applause.)
In the years after September 11th,
more than 5 million young men and women have joined the ranks of our
great military to defend our country against barbaric forces of evil
and destruction. American forces are relentlessly pursuing and
destroying the enemies of all civilized people, ensuring -- and
these are horrible, horrible enemies -- enemies like we've never
seen before. But we're ensuring they never again have a safe haven
to launch attacks against our country. We are making plain to these
savage killers that there is no dark corner beyond our reach, no
sanctuary beyond our grasp, and nowhere to hide anywhere on this
very large Earth.
Since 9/11, nearly 7,000 servicemembers
have given their lives fighting terrorists around the globe. Some of
them rest just beyond this fence, in the shrine to our nation’s
heroes, on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. They came
from all backgrounds, all races, all faiths, but they were all there
to dedicate their lives, and they defend our one great American
flag. (Applause.)
They -- and every person who puts on the
uniform -- has the love and gratitude of our entire nation.
Today, as we stand on this hallowed ground, we are reminded of the
timeless truth that when America is united, no force on Earth can
break us apart -- no force.
On the morning of 9/11, Pentagon
Police Officer Isaac Ho’opi’i and -- a special person -- was one of
many heroes whose love for his fellow Americans knew no bounds. He
was a mile away when he got the call over his radio that a plane had
crashed into the Pentagon. He sped to the scene and raced into smoke
and fire. Few people would have done it. He ducked under live
electrical wires and trudged through puddles of jet fuel only steps
away from sparks and from vicious flame.
In the pitch black,
he began calling out people in need of help. Isaac heard faint
voices and he wanted to answer those faint voices. One by one, he
carried people out of the burning rubble. He kept going back into
the smoldering darkness, calling out to anyone who could hear,
anyone who was alive. He saved as many as 20 people who had followed
his voice; he carried eight himself.
For nearly 36 hours,
Isaac kept on saving lives, serving our nation, and protecting our
safety in our hour of need. And today, Isaac continues to do exactly
that. Isaac still works at the Pentagon, now as a sergeant. He’s on
duty right now, and he’s joined us here today for the ceremony. And
this morning, all of us -- and all of America -- thank Isaac for his
service. Where is Isaac? (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you, Isaac.
Thank you.
To Isaac and to every first responder and survivor
of the attack, you carry on the legacy of the friends you lost. You
keep alive the memory of those who perished. And you make America
proud -- very, very proud.
To the family members with us
today, I know that it’s with a pained and heavy heart that you come
back to this place. But by doing so, by choosing to persevere
through the grief, the sorrow, you honor your heroes, you renew our
courage, and you strengthen all of us. You really do. You strengthen
all of us.
Here on the west side of the Pentagon, terrorists
tried to break our resolve. It’s not going to happen. But where they
left a mark with fire and rubble, Americans defiantly raised the
stars and stripes –- our beautiful flag that for more than two
centuries has graced our ships, flown in our skies, and led our
brave heroes to victory after victory in battle. The flag that binds
us all together as Americans who cherish our values and protect our
way of life. The flag that reminds us today of who we are, what we
stand for, and why we fight.
Woven into that beautiful flag
is the story of our resolve. We have overcome every challenge --
every single challenge, every one of them -- we've triumphed over
every evil, and remained united as one nation under God. America
does not bend. We do not waver. And we will never, ever yield.
So here at this memorial, with hearts both sad and determined,
we honor every hero who keeps us safe and free, and we pledge to
work together, to fight together, and to overcome together every
enemy and obstacle that's ever in our path.
Our values will
endure. Our people will thrive. Our nation will prevail. And the
memory of our loved ones will never, ever die.
Thank you.
May God bless you. May God forever bless the great United States of
America. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
