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U.S. NEWS Thursday 12 sepTember 2019

18 years later, America

vows to ‘never forget’ 9/11

By KAREN MATTHEWS and your families,” said Pence, become America’s longest
JENNIFER PELTZ who was an Indiana con- war. The aim was to dis-
Associated Press gressman at the time. Of- lodge Afghanistan’s then-
NEW YORK (AP) — People ficials concluded the at- ruling Taliban militants for
who were too young on tackers had been aiming harboring al-Qaida leader
9/11 to even remember the plane toward Washing- and 9/11 mastermind Osa-
their lost loved ones, and ton. Nearly 3,000 people ma bin Laden.
others for whom the grief were killed when terrorist- Earlier this week, Trump
is still raw, paid tribute with piloted planes slammed called off a secret meeting
wreath-layings and the sol- into the World Trade Cen- at Camp David with Taliban
emn roll call of the dead ter, the Pentagon and the and Afghan government
Wednesday as America field in Pennsylvania. leaders and declared the
marked the 18th anniversa- For families like Mary Ann peace talks “dead.” As the
ry of the worst terror attack Marino’s, “18 years has not Sept. 11 anniversary began
on U.S. soil. lessened our loss,” she told in Afghanistan, a rocket ex- A man holds a photo of a victim during a ceremony marking the
“As long as the city will gift those gathered at ground ploded at the U.S. Embassy 18th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, at the National
us this moment, I will be zero after she read part just after midnight, with no September 11 Memorial, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019, in New
York.
here,” Margie Miller, who of the long list of victims’ injuries reported.q Associated Press
lost her husband, Joel, names. She lost her son,
said as she attended the firefighter Kenneth Marino.
ground zero anniversary Parboti Parbhu choked up
ceremony, as she has ev- as she spoke from the po-
ery year. “I want people to dium about her slain sister,
remember.” Hardai. Even after nearly
President Donald Trump two decades, “There’s no
laid a wreath at the Pen- easy way to say good-
tagon, telling victims’ rela- bye,” she said. By now,
tives there: “This is your an- the heritage of grief has
niversary of personal and been handed down to a
permanent loss.” new generation, including
“It’s the day that has re- children and young adults
played in your memory a who knew their lost rela-
thousand times over. The tives barely or not at all.
last kiss. The last phone call. Jacob Campbell was 10
The last time hearing those months old when his moth-
precious words, ‘I love er, Jill Maurer-Campbell,
you,’” the president said. died on 9/11.
Near Shanksville, Pennsyl- “It’s interesting growing
vania, the third site where up in a generation that
planes crashed on Sept. doesn’t really remember it.
11, 2001, Vice President I feel a connection that no
Mike Pence credited the one I go to school with can
crew and passengers who really understand,” Camp-
fought back against the hi- bell, a University of Michi-
jackers with protecting him gan sophomore, said as he
and others in the U.S. Capi- attended the ceremony.
tol that day. Like the families, the nation
“I will always believe that I is still grappling with the
and many others in our na- aftermath of Sept. 11. The
tion’s capital were able to effects are visible from air-
go home that day and hug port security checkpoints
our families because of the to Afghanistan, where the
courage and selflessness of post-9/11 U.S. invasion has