Friday marks 25 years since Sept. 11
NEW YORK (NBC, KYMA) - The nation paused Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
From Ground Zero, to the Pentagon to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, we remember the lives lost a quarter century ago.
It is the most somber of traditions, playing out throughout the morning at Ground Zero.
The reading of every name of the 2,977 people killed on 9/11 does feel like there's an extra weight this year, with a quarter century of history of loss and pain behind those names, spoken aloud by those who loved them.
"And my best friend…25 years later, we still tell your stories like it was yesterday," said one mourner.
Another key part of the ceremony moments of silence, marking when hijacked planes hit the towers -- the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and this year, an added seventh silent pause, honoring the thousands who've died since from the health hazards, the toxic air, and material at Ground Zero.
At the Pentagon, where 184 people were killed, President Donald Trump is spoke, and over in Shanksville, the names of the 40 passengers and crew members who died after they realized what was happening, and a group bravely took on the hijackers, crashing in a field to prevent the deaths of who knows how many more people on the ground.
The sacrifices made on 9/11, and in the days that followed, are etched in the memories of millions.
For the generations too young to have those visceral memories, there's a new urgency this year to keep this history alive, along with the memories of all those we lost, and the legacy they leave behind.
To watch the coverage of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, see attached video.
