A new moment of silence will be added during the 25th annual commemoration ceremony of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to honor those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses.
For the past 24 years, six moments of silence have been observed during the 9/11 commemoration ceremony to mark the times when each of the World Trade Center towers was struck, when each tower fell, the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
What You Need To Know
A new moment of silence will be added during the 25th annual commemoration ceremony of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to honor those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses
The seventh moment will honor first responders, construction workers and volunteers who suffered from illnesses after breathing in the toxic dust that swirled through lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the attacks
The new moment of silence will be a permanent feature of the annual ceremony going forward
This year, a seventh moment will be added following the reading of the names of those who died on Sept. 11. It will honor those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses, including first responders, construction workers and volunteers who breathed in the toxic dust that swirled through lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the attacks.
“We’ve been grateful to have the people who responded on 9/11, who ran to help when the towers were attacked, who helped people escape and then who were harmed and sacrificed as a result of their service. They’ve been part of our community from the start,” said Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
The new moment of silence will be a permanent feature of the annual ceremony going forward.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum said adding it ensures that no life lost that day, or in the 25 years since, is forgotten.
“To me, it is the longest day in the history of days. It hasn’t ended,” said John Feal, a 9/11 first responder and health advocate.
“There’s no measuring cup. There’s no teaspoon for the amount of pain these men and women have been through,” he added.
Dr. Kerry Kelly, former FDNY chief medical officer and 9/11 Memorial & Museum trustee, said in a statement that “too many” people have died from “cancer, respiratory issues and other 9/11-related illnesses.”
“This new moment of silence is a fitting tribute to these heroes whose sacrifice, dedication and commitment to public service will never be forgotten,” Kelly said.
The Memorial Glade at the 9/11 memorial also recognizes that more people have died from illnesses related to the attacks than died on the day itself.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum will also hold its annual ceremony on May 30 commemorating the formal end of recovery operations at Ground Zero and honoring those impacted by the attacks, the organization said in a statement.