Vice President Kamala Harris and former president George W. Bush praised the “courage” of passengers on United Flight 93, who attempted to wrest control of the plane from hijackers before crashing outside Shanksville, Pa.
“What happened on Flight 93 told us then and still tells us so much about the courage of those on board, who gave everything they possibly could,” Harris said at a ceremony in Shanksville. “It is my hope and prayer that we continue to honor their courage, their conviction, with our own. That we honor their unity by strengthening our common bonds.”
"What happened on Flight 93 told us then and still tells us so much about the courage of those on board, who gave everything they possibly could"
Vice President Kamala Harris remembers the lost lives of 9/11 at the memorial service in Shanksville, Pennhttps://t.co/64sGwIaphp pic.twitter.com/NrzJwwV7Q3
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 11, 2021
“The passengers and crew of Flight 93 could have been any group of citizens selected by fate. In a sense, they stood in for us all. The terrorists soon discovered that a random group of Americans is an exceptional group of people,” Bush said in a speech at the ceremony.
The passengers and crew members of United Flight 93 “stood in for us all,” former Pres. Bush says.
“Facing an impossible circumstance, they comforted their loved ones by phone, braced each other for action, and defeated the designs of evil” https://t.co/LaZCibIqoz pic.twitter.com/TtT19DiReH
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 11, 2021
“Facing an impossible circumstance, they comforted their loved ones by phone, braced each other for action, and defeated designs of evil,” Bush continued. “These Americans were brave, strong and united in ways that shocked the terrorists. It should not surprise any of us: This is the nation we know.”
In rare comments on current politics, Bush also compared foreign and domestic “extremists,” saying that “in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit.”
Also speaking at the Flight 93 memorial was Gordon Felt, whose brother Edward was on board the plane. Edward was one of the last passengers to call 911 from the plane, reporting that the flight had been hijacked.
Gordon Felt, whose brother Edward was on Flight 93: “Are we worthy of their sacrifice? Are we worthy? Do we as individuals, communities, & as a country, conduct ourselves in a manner that would make those that sacrificed so much and fought so hard…proud of who we've become?" pic.twitter.com/tBpQvCRhPq
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 11, 2021
“The question to be considered is: are we worthy of their sacrifice?” Gordon said, referring to Flight 93 passengers and others killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. “Are we worthy? Do we as individuals, communities, and as a country, conduct ourselves in a manner that would make those that sacrificed so much and fought so hard on September 11, proud of who we’ve become?”
PHOTO GALLERY: Remembering 9/11