New York City Remembers 9/11 on the 20th Anniversary

| Photo by Alicia Lenea

Annual Commemoration Ceremony 

To honor the people who lost their lives that day, the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum holds an exclusive annual commemoration ceremony where families of victims gather on the memorial plaza to read aloud the 2,983 names of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. 

The commemoration began at 8:30 a.m. and concluded at 1 p.m. President Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and their wives attended.

Throughout the ceremony, six moments of silence were observed for the times when each of the World Trade Center towers was struck, when each tower fell, for the attack at the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

The first moment of silence was held at 8:46 a.m. when Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower 20 years ago. Houses of worship were encouraged to toll their bells at that time. 

Thousands Gather to Remember

Walking in circles around the memorial, carrying a bouquet of roses, Michael Demler stops at a name engraved in the stone. He places the stem of the red rose into the crevice of the letter “J,” pats the name, nods and walks away. 

Demler, a native New Yorker, walks around the 9/11 memorial pools at Ground Zero each year, leaving flowers for strangers to make sure everyone is remembered. The names of the 2,983 people who were killed in the 2001 and 1993 terrorist attacks are inscribed on the bronze parapets edging the memorial pools.

Michael Demler places a flower on the 9/11 Memorial. | Photo by Haeven Gibbons

This year, on the 20th anniversary of the attacks, Demler left one of his roses for Jude Joseph Moussa who was a trader at a bond brokerage firm and was working on the 105th floor of the North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the building. Moussa was 35. 

“Today, especially with us leaving the pandemic, I feel resilience and the chance that there’s going to be unity again,” Demler said. “Everyone’s putting aside their differences and remembering it’s not about them. It’s just about remembering that day and the people who died.”

Demler said it’s also about remembering the people who “stepped up” and risked their lives to save other people.  

Demler grew up watching the Twin Towers being built. He was working at the Empire State Building on the infamous day. On his way to work, he saw the towers on fire from his train window.   

Today, Demler was among a crowd of thousands who gathered at the memorial after the annual commemoration ceremony ended. 

“It’s emotional seeing everybody around and people crying,” said Scott Aguiar, who visited the memorial for the first time on Saturday. 

Some reflected in silence while others held each other and talked amongst family members. Others  left notes and flowers for the people they lost. Strangers talked with one another in remembrance of the tragedy.

Two flight attendants stood in front of three wreaths that were set up to honor the pilots, flight attendants and passengers who lost their lives on the planes. 

“We do this [work] because we love it, and all these crews did it because they loved it,” said a Republic Airways flight attendant. “And we lost all of them that day. I think in this industry, we’re all family, and we can't help but feel a connection to the people that were lost. These are our colleagues even if we never met them.”

A Generation That Does Not Remember 

United Airlines flight attendant Ja’Muan Webb said when 9/11 happened, American’s daily lives changed forever, especially concerning travel.

“This is something that changed the way we live our lives, the way we do things. It’s not just something we should learn about in history books,” Webb said. “It’s a day to reflect and remember for years to come.”

Ed Steinmacher, a retired NYPD first responder said seeing how Ground Zero has progressed in the past 20 years is “amazing” and “disheartening.” 

Steinmacher said it’s disheartening because many who visit the memorial are there to take a photo instead of really understanding the gravity of what happened. 

Demler said he thinks it’s “really important” that younger people know about Sept. 11. 

“A lot of them don’t, and I hope the ones that do honor it,” Demler said. 

Healing and Never Forgetting 

“It was hell on Earth,” said Hank Dougherty with the Brevent Park Fire Company.   

The events of that day changed the lives of Americans forever. Wars began in Afghanistan and Iraq, a domestic war on terrorism commenced and the United States was forced to rewrite security and surveillance rules.  

Two decades later, America focuses on healing, remembering and educating younger generations about the events of that day and the repercussions of the attacks.

“It’s important to never forget because when we forget, we become complacent,” said Denise Steinmacher.

Each year Ed and Denise Steinmacher walk around Ground Zero, hand-in-hand remembering the 23 NYPD police officers who died.

At sundown, the annual “Tribute in Light” illuminated the sky, and Demler’s flowers stood tall.