Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Christopher W. Grady today commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack during a ceremony in the Pentagon's courtyard.
While delivering their remarks, Hicks and Grady noted how the events of 9/11 brought a renewed sense of patriotism and public service throughout the nation.
"In the year that followed 9/11, more than a quarter-million Americans with no prior military experience enlisted in the military and, with countless others, made a commitment to public service," Hicks said, adding that many of them were moved to change their career paths to be part of something bigger than themselves.
"There are few clear demonstrations of a commitment to the greater good than life in public service and especially military service," Hicks continued.
"Unity that we displayed in the aftermath of the attacks highlighted the very best of the United States of America as a nation; we demonstrated that our shared humanity is mightier than any force that seeks to divide us," Grady said.
Hicks and Grady also spoke words of praise for the first responders and everyday citizens who sprang into action following the attacks, including those who provided aid at the Pentagon.
"There are many heroic stories borne from that sense of duty. Of the first responders who rushed into the building despite the risk. Of those who waded through fire and smoke to direct a teammate to safety. And those who used whatever resources, training or experience they had to aid and assist the incapacitated, injured, struggling and scared," Hicks said.
"As we remember the heroes of that day — the first responders who rushed into danger, the Pentagon staff who stayed at their posts tirelessly amid the chaos, and the countless individuals who came together to offer support — we are reminded of the unbreakable spirit of the American people throughout these corridors and across this very courtyard," Grady said.
Hicks and Grady concluded their remarks by honoring those who lost their lives on 9/11 in service to country.
"Let us commit to honoring the memory of those we lost by living our lives with purpose, by serving with integrity, and by working together to build a future where such acts of violence are but a distant memory; and may we continue to honor those we lost by living with the same courage, the same strength and the same dedication that they demonstrated on that fateful day," Grady said.
"So let this anniversary be a reminder of our continued responsibility to this nation — to carry forward to each generation the value of public service," Hicks said, "to share this important history, to tell our stories and to honor in name and in deed all those we lost."
In all, 184 people lost their lives when terrorists crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the southwest corner of the Pentagon, including passengers, crew members and people at the Pentagon.
A memorial honoring those who were lost was dedicated exactly seven years later on Sept. 11, 2008.