CA, US & World
25 Years After 9/11, Families and Survivors Gather to Remember
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, families, survivors and communities across the country are gathering Friday to remember the 2,977 people killed in the attacks and honor the first responders and others whose lives were changed forever.
The attacks killed 2,753 people in New York, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 aboard Flight 93, which crashed in western Pennsylvania.
At Ground Zero, the annual remembrance includes the reading of victims' names by family members, followed by moments of silence marking key moments of the attacks.
This year, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is also observing an additional moment of silence for people who have become sick or died from illnesses linked to exposure to hazards at the World Trade Center site. The Memorial says more than 80,000 people are now known to be suffering from 9/11-related illnesses.
For families of the victims, the anniversary remains deeply personal.
Retired NYPD Officer James Smith, whose wife Moira Smith was killed on 9/11, said the loss extended beyond his wife to friends and fellow officers.
“I didn't lose just my wife that day, I lost friends and coworkers. I just want people to remember their sacrifice.”
Jessica Bucca, whose father died on 9/11, recalled the sense of security he provided her family.
“My dad always made us feel so protected and all of a sudden he was gone.”
Firefighters and other first responders are also being remembered, including those who spent months working at Ground Zero and later faced serious health consequences.
Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, was among the responders who worked at the site.
“There was a duty to be there, a duty to try to recover our brothers and sisters,” Kelly said.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum says the toxic dust and other hazards at Ground Zero affected rescue and recovery workers, survivors and people who lived or worked in Lower Manhattan. The Memorial Glade is dedicated to those who are sick or have died from those exposures.
Former President George W. Bush, who was in office during the attacks, has also emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of September 11 for generations who have no firsthand memory of the day.
“The danger, of course, the farther it gets away from September 11, 2001, the more likely it is people will not remember” the importance, service and sacrifice.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum says 100 million Americans are now too young to remember September 11, 2001, making education and remembrance a central focus of this year's 25th anniversary.
Twenty-five years later, ceremonies at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and the Flight 93 site continue a promise made in the aftermath of the attacks: to remember those who were lost and the people who responded.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
September 11, 2026
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