HOUSTON – Houston Mayor John Whitmire held a remembrance ceremony in honor of the lives lost and heroes of the 9/11 attacks.
Whitmire was joined by military representatives, first responders and Victoria d’Angelo-Thompkins, retired NYPD Detective and U.S. Navy Veteran who responded to the twin towers attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
“This is a time for Houstonians to join together to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost. The attack on our nation brought heartbreak, but it also brought Americans together in unity and patriotism. Houstonians are proud of our country, and when we come together, we strengthen both our city and our nation,” said Whitmire.
KTRK ABC 13 anchor Samica Knight emceed the ceremony. The Presentation of Colors was led by the Houston Fire Department and Houston Police Department Color Guards, the National Anthem was sung by Scotty Frazier, United States Marine Corps Iraq Veteran, the Invocation was led by Chaplain Tyler Hicks with the Houston Fire Department, and the closing prayer was presented by Chaplain Vincent Johnson, with the Houston Police Department. Assistant Chief Mohammad Koochack with the Houston Fire Department will provide the keynote address.
This year marks 24 years since the Sept. 11 attacks.
In all, the attacks by al-Qaida militants killed 2,977 people, including many financial workers at the World Trade Center and firefighters and police officers who had rushed to the burning buildings trying to save lives.
The attacks reverberated globally and altered the course of U.S. policy, both domestically and overseas. It led to the “ Global War on Terrorism ” and the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and related conflicts that killed hundreds of thousands of troops and civilians.
While the hijackers died in the attacks, the U.S. government has struggled to conclude its long-running legal case against the man accused of masterminding the plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The former al-Qaida leader was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and later taken to a U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but has never received a trial.