President Barack Obama commemorated the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with a moment of silence outside of the White House prior to attending a memorial at the Pentagon, according to the Wall Street Journal.
President Obama was accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama as well as Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill for the ceremony on the South Lawn. At 8:45 a.m. the four came out from the White House followed by an honor guard. At 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane struck the World Trade Center, bells tolled and "Taps" was played before the president and his group returned to the White House, according to NPR.
Speaking at a memorial service outside of the Pentagon, the site where 184 people died during the attacks, President Obama directly addressed the survivors of the attacks, the Wall Street Journal reports.
"Your lives are the greatest tribute to those that we lost; for their legacy shines on in you," President Obama said. "In your resilience you've taught us all there's no trouble that we cannot endure, there's no calamity we cannot overcome."
In his remarks President Obama made reference to the four Americans who were killed in an attack on this day last year in Benghazi, Libya, according to the Wall Street Journal.
"Pray for all those who've stepped forward in those years of war; diplomats who serve in dangerous posts, as we saw this day last year in Benghazi; intelligence professionals, often unseen and unheralded, who protect us in every way; our men and women in uniform who defend this country we love," President Obama said.
One day after a speech addressing the possibility of using force in Syria the president spoke about how America must show strength in the face of threats and how there are ways to do so other than force, reports the Wall Street Journal.
"Let us have the strength to face the threats that endure, different though they may be from 12 years ago, so that as long as there are those who would strike our citizens, we will stand vigilant and defend our nation," President Obama said. "Let us have the wisdom to know that while force is at times necessary, force alone cannot build the world we seek."
A proclamation was issued by the president yesterday calling for Sept. 11 to be a National Day of Service. Flags are supposed to be flown at half-staff and people are encouraged to mark the day by doing volunteer work to honor those who were killed as well as those who responded selflessly to the attacks, according to Bloomberg.
