9/11: Five Years Later
A test of the Tribute in Light memorial illuminates a passing cloud above lower Manhattan. (Photo: Mike Hvozda/USCG/AP Wide World)
On Monday, September 11, 2006, Americans all over the world marked the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. This National Day of Mourning paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 people who were killed in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania five years prior.
“On the fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001, we will again gather in sorrow and in remembrance to ensure we never forget the magnitude of what happened that fateful day and each and every one of the heroes we lost,” said New York Governor George Pataki.
MANHATTAN MEMORIALS
In New York City, families gathered at the World Trade Center to remember the loved ones who lost their lives there. During the daylong event, they read the names of the victims and laid flowers at the site. The ceremony was interrupted by four moments of silence—two that marked when each tower was struck, and two to commemorate when each tower fell.
In lower Manhattan, visitors can view dozens of photographs at the entrance to the train station at Ground Zero. The exhibit, titled “Here: Remembering 9/11,” featured shots taken by both professionals and amateurs. The photos will eventually becpme part of a permanent collection at a museum that is scheduled to open in 2009.
“A lot of my friends’ parents died, and this exhibit shows people and the impact on them,” said Xavier Fuller, who, as a teenager, witnessed a plane hitting one of the towers. “That’s important.”
In Washington, D.C., tens of thousands of people were expected to turn out for the second annual “America Supports You Freedom Walk” on September 10. Participants walked a two-mile route from the National Mall to the Pentagon in honor of the victims of 9/11. The event in 2005, which drew a crowd of more than 15,000, has inspired similar walks in cities across the United States.
In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, President George W. Bush paid his respects to the victims of United Flight 93, before traveling to the Pentagon in Northern Virginia. He and Mrs. Bush attended ceremonies in lower Manhattan on Sunday, September 10, as well.
A NATION REMEMBERS
Elsewhere in the country, Phoenix, Arizona observed the fifth anniversary of the attacks by hosting a commemorative concert. The evening of music featured heartfelt songs of remembrance, including the world premiere of “Voices from the Aftermath: A New York Requiem” by Christopher Scinto. Scinto is the son of a New York City police officer.
In Windsor, Connecticut, residents lined the sidewalks of the town's green with luminary bags carrying the names of each victim. Flags of remembrance, representing all 2,973 victims, flew at the New England Air Museum until September 12.
Thousands of Americans from coast to coast took part in a day of service, as part of a program sponsored by myGoodDeed.org. The initiative challenges people to perform at least one good deed to commemorate the September 11 anniversary.
CNN replayed its original coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Internet. It ran its coverage in real time as it aired five years ago.
Critical Thinking Question
Read today's news story, and then answer the following question.
| Where were you on September 11, 2001? What will you do to remember that day? | |
Karen Fanning is a contributing writer for Scholastic News Online.
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