Presidential Proclamation on Patriot Day, 2019
On Patriot Day, we solemnly remember the nearly 3,000 people who perished on September 11, 2001. With gratitude, we honor the brave first responders, resolute members of our military, and ordinary Americans who showed extraordinary courage to save others on that fateful day. We will always be grateful for the heroic men and women of our Armed Forces who fought in defense of our country in the aftermath of the largest terrorist attack on American soil, and we will never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our liberty and freedom.
Many Americans vividly recall the precise moment when terrorists killed our fellow Americans at the World Trade Center in New York City; at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and on a quiet field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A beautiful September morning was marred by stark disbelief, agonizing sorrow, and profound suffering. America’s strength, courage, and compassion, however, never wavered. First responders instantly rushed into harm’s way to save their fellow Americans from the wreckage of the attacks, the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 decisively fought back and saved countless lives at the cost of their own, and Americans from across the country provided aid, assistance, and comfort to those in need. Against the backdrop of cowardly acts of terror, America once again demonstrated to the world the unmatched strength of our resolve and the indomitable power of our character.
This year, I was proud to sign into law the Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. This bipartisan legislation, named in honor of New York first responders Officer James Zadroga, Firefighter Ray Pfeifer, and Detective Luis Alvarez, permanently reauthorizes compensation for victims and their families, first responders, and those on the front lines of rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. Through this legislation, our Nation is fulfilling our sacred duty to those who risked their lives for their fellow Americans on that infamous September day 18 years ago.
Our prayers will continue for the survivors who still bear physical and emotional wounds and for the families who lost loved ones. We also pray for the members of our Armed Forces who risk their lives in service to our country and for the first responders who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of others. Today, let us remember that our Union — forged and strengthened through adversity — will never be broken and that the immeasurable sacrifices of our patriots will never be forgotten.
By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107–89), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day.”
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2019, as Patriot Day. I call upon all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States to display the flag of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day in honor of the individuals who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I invite the Governors of the United States and its Territories and interested organizations and individuals to join in this observance. I call upon the people of the United States to participate in community service in honor of those our Nation lost, to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services, and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time to honor the innocent victims who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
Below is a timeline of the events that occurred on September 11, 2001:
7:59 am – American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 with 92 people aboard, takes off from Boston's Logan International Airport en route to Los Angeles. 8:14 am – United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 with 65 people aboard, takes off from Boston; it is also headed to Los Angeles. 8:19 am – Flight attendants aboard Flight 11 alert ground personnel that the plane has been hijacked; American Airlines notifies the FBI. 8:20 am – American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C.The Boeing 757 is headed to Los Angeles with 64 people aboard. 8:24 am – Hijacker Mohammed Atta makes the first of two accidental transmissions from Flight 11 to ground control (apparently in an attempt to communicate with the plane's cabin). 8:40 am – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alerts North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)'s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) about the suspected hijacking of Flight 11. In response, NEADS scrambles two fighter planes located at Cape Cod's Otis Air National Guard Base to locate and tail Flight 11; they are not yet in the air when Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower. 8:41 am – United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 with 44 people aboard, takes off from Newark International Airport en route to San Francisco. It had been scheduled to depart at 8:00 am, around the time of the other hijacked flights. 8:46 am – Mohammed Atta and the other hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 11 crash the plane into floors 93-99 of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and hundreds inside the building. 8:47 am – Within seconds, NYPD and FDNY forces dispatch units to the World Trade Center, while Port Authority Police Department officers on site begin immediate evacuation of the North Tower. 8:50 am – White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card alerts President George W. Bush that a plane has hit the World Trade Center; the president is visiting an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida at the time. 9:02 am – After initially instructing tenants of the WTC's South Tower to remain in the building, Port Authority officials broadcast orders to evacuate both towers via the public address system; an estimated 10,000 to 14,000 people are already in the process of evacuating. 9:03 am – Hijackers crash United Airlines Flight 175 into floors 75-85 of the WTC's South Tower, killing everyone on board and hundreds inside the building 9:08 am – The FAA bans all takeoffs of flights going to New York City or through the airspace around the city. 9:21 am – The Port Authority closes all bridges and tunnels in the New York City area. 9:24 am – The FAA notified NEADS of the suspected hijacking of Flight 77 after some passengers and crew aboard are able to alert family members on the ground. 9:31 am – Speaking from Florida, President Bush calls the events in New York City an "apparent terrorist attack on our country." 9:37 am – Hijackers aboard Flight 77 crash the plane into the western façade of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing 59 aboard the plane and 125 military and civilian personnel inside the building. 9:42 am – For the first time in history, the FAA grounds all flights over or bound for the continental United States. Some 3,300 commercial flights and 1,200 private planes are guided to airports in Canada and the United States over the next two-and-a-half hours. 9:45 am – Amid escalating rumors of other attacks, the White House and U.S. Capitol building are evacuated (along with numerous other high-profile buildings, landmarks and public spaces). 9:59 am – The South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses. 10:07 am – After passengers and crew members aboard the hijacked Flight 93 contact friends and family and learn about the attacks in New York and Washington, they mount an attempt to retake the plane. In response, hijackers deliberately crash the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 passengers and crew aboard. 10:28 am – The World Trade Center's North Tower collapses, 102 minutes after being struck by Flight 11. 11 am – Mayor Rudolph Giuliani calls for the evacuation of Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street, including more than 1 million residents, workers and tourists, as efforts continue throughout the afternoon to search for survivors at the WTC site. 1 pm – From a U.S. Air Force base in Louisiana, President Bush announces that U.S. military forces are on high alert worldwide. 2:51 pm – The U.S. Navy dispatches missile destroyers to New York and Washington, D.C. 5:20 pm – The 47-story Seven World Trade Center collapses after burning for hours; the building had been evacuated in the morning, and there are no casualties, though the collapse forces rescue workers to flee for their lives. 6:58 pm – President Bush returns to the White House after stops at military bases in Louisiana and Nebraska. 8:30 pm – President Bush addresses the nation, calling the attacks "evil, despicable acts of terror" and declaring that America, its friends and allies would "stand together to win the war against terrorism."
