On September 11, 2001, the world stopped. Our nation suffered a deep wound that seemed like it might never heal. We lost 2,977 Americans in the attack and their absence is still felt.

The GODLESS terrorists who launched the attack knew they couldn’t kill every single American, but they hoped to intimidate us and make us cower in fear. They wanted to shake our resolve and our faith in everything that makes the United States of America the GREATEST country on earth. They FAILED.

In the wake of that tragedy, America did not shrink into darkness. We refused to be paralyzed by fear or grief. We united together to bury the fallen and punish those responsible.

We were only able to do this, in part, because of the bravery showcased by our first responders during and immediately after the attack. We saw police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and even random citizens run to the danger. They ran into collapsing buildings to help rescue those that were trapped.

Their sacrifice in the moment inspired us to carry on. The scars of 9/11 are permanent, but they are also a testament that no act of cowardice or terrorism can shatter the resolve of America.

Today, we remember ALL of the fallen and we honor them — not just with our tears, but with an unyielding pledge that we will NEVER FORGET and NEVER SURRENDER in the face of terrorism.