9/11…12 years later

Family and friends of the September 11 victims’ will gather at Ground Zero today to commemorate the attacks’ 12th anniversary with the reading of names, moments of silence and serene music that have become tradition.

The ceremony on the 2-year-old memorial plaza will honor the nearly 3,000 people who died when hijacked jets crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as well as the 1993 trade center bombing victims’ names.

New York Mayor Andrew Cuomo, musician Billy Joel, firefighters and others are expected to join in a tribute motorcycle ride from a Manhattan firehouse to the site where the World Trade Centers once stood.

A similar ceremony will be held at the Pentagon and and also at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today made the following statement recognizing the 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America:

“Twelve years ago our nation was attacked, and our country was irrevocably changed.  Although the threat was unimaginable, Americans responded with courage and bravery.

“When others fled down the stairs of the World Trade Center, New York firefighters headed up to lend a helping hand.  When hijackers took control of United Flight 93, Todd Beamer and his fellow passengers fought back. When American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, civilian and military employees rescued the injured.  When all was said and done, nearly 3,000 families lost loved ones, and as we take a moment to pause and reflect, we remember them all in our prayers today.

“We salute our military, police, firefighters, and first responders who lay their lives on the line every day to protect the freedoms that we all too often take for granted.”