WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.),Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement in commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on our nation. On September 11, 2001, then-Congressman Cardin represented Maryland’s 3rd Congressional district.
“Today, we as a nation honor and mourn the 3,000 American souls, including 68 Marylanders, who were ripped away from us on September 11, 2001. We also honor the first responders who risked their own lives to save others. While the attacks took place at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and a deserted field in Pennsylvania, their effects were, and still are, felt nationally. For many of us, although 23 years have passed, on this day and at the mention of 9/11 anytime, we are transported in an instant back to the very moment we heard of the attacks, watched them on television or saw the smoke rising from the crash sites.
“Despite such a vicious attempt by terrorists to tear apart our nation’s spirit, the attacks of 9/11 only made us stronger. Under the most tragic of circumstances, rather than turn on each other, we came together as a community. From the courageous first responders to the stunning show of bravery and sheer kindness by average citizens just wanting to help, America showed the world its resilience and grit that day. It is this feeling of interconnectedness that I hope those who only know 9/11 from history books can learn from and try to replicate.
“Marylanders and Americans from every state have faced the tragic losses of 9/11 together. Although many have already been shared, there are even more untold stories to be highlighted from this tragic day that exhibit American resilience at its finest. Stories such as the Boat Lift – for which 150 commercial boats transported 500,000 people out of lower Manhattan to safety – are reminders that we are strong and resolved to defend each other’s liberty against any enemy, no matter the cost.
“Today we remember. We remember the victims and the fearless medical workers, police officers, firefighters, and others who died in the line of duty, as well as the brave men and women of Flight 93, who sacrificed themselves to save as many others as possible. On this National Day of Service and Remembrance, it is of the utmost importance that we continue to commemorate the bravery and selflessness shown on this day in 2001 and the days and months that followed.”
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