Ground Zero Adds Toxic Dust Tribute as Nation Remembers 9/11
The United States is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on September 11, 2026, with nationwide memorials, moments of silence, and official observances across key crash sites. Victims’ families, first responders, and civic institutions across the country are participating in name-reading ceremonies, stadium stair climbs, and volunteer projects to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 strikes.
New Ground Zero Silent Honor Recognizes Deaths From Toxic Dust Exposure
For the first time at the New York commemoration, a dedicated moment of silence will honor individuals who were exposed to toxic dust clouds following the World Trade Center collapse and later died from cancer and related illnesses. The ceremony at the National Sept. 11 Memorial will maintain its tradition of family members reading every victim’s name, paused for moments of silence marking each jet impact and tower collapse.
President Donald Trump is attending the remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon, marking the spot where hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 struck the military headquarters. Vice President JD Vance is attending the observance in lower Manhattan, while other administration officials are gathering at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where passengers fought hijackers aboard the fourth commercial jet before it crashed in a field.
Tributes extend across state lines, ranging from light projections atop New Hampshire’s Mount Washington to a stair climb at Mississippi State University’s football stadium and formal ceremonies at Honolulu’s 9/11 memorial. Second-generation first responders are also participating in station house observances, including 29-year-old New York Police Department Officer Casey Kloepfer, who joined the force in June wearing the badge number of his father, Officer Ronald Kloepfer, who died responding to the twin towers.
The quarter-century milestone comes as accused attack mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed continues to await trial 23 years after his capture, while former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011.
