Lisa Blunt Rochester Statement: Remembering September 11th

Statement

5 years ago I was State Personnel Director and was attending a cabinet meeting in Dover not far from the Air Force base. When the news that a plane had crashed into the first tower, it felt as if the air in the room left. We weren't sure if it was an accident or if it was terrorism, but we were all in shock and scrambling to figure out if those we knew in New York City were safe. In the hours that followed and as we learned more about what had happened, we knew that our lives would be forever changed.

The lives of countless Americans were forever changed and, as I look back on that day, I remember the courage of our first responders, our firefighters and our law enforcement officials. I remember how our country came together to support one another and to prove to al-Qaida militants that we would not bend and we would not break.

Today, we honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and those we lost in the years since then to 9/11-related illnesses. Today, we mourn with their families. Today, we remember the heroism and bravery of those who fought on our behalf to protect the freedom we enjoy. Today, just as we did in the late hours of September 11th, 2001, we stand united and we remember the common values we all share and that make our nation great.

Source