9/11: A day of reflection

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama remembered the 184 people killed at the Pentagon during a ceremony Saturday morning on the ninth anniversary of the attack.

“For our nation, this is a day of remembrance, a day of reflection, and — with God’s grace —  a day of unity and renewal,” Obama said to the private gathering of about 300 families and friends of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, when a hijacked plane crashed into the building.

Nineteen of those killed were from the Prince William area, the most lost by any jurisdiction in metropolitan Washington.

The 9/11 Remembrance began with a wreath laying ceremony followed by remarks by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and finally the president.

“Nine years have now passed. In that time, you have shed more tears than we will ever know,” Obama said. “And though it must seem some days as though the world has moved on to other things, I say to you today that your loved ones endure in the heart of our nation, now and forever.”

It was apparent that none of the families had forgotten. They all wore red, white and blue ribbons. Many also wore  T-shirts, buttons or photographs of their loved ones. One man carried a poster-sized photo.

A moment of silence was observed at 9:43 a.m., the time when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Families bowed their heads and held each other.

The president acknowledged that the country was facing difficulties with the ongoing controversies surrounding the proposed Islamic community center in New York City and the Florida pastor’s threat to burn Qurans.

“And it is often in such moments that some try to stoke bitterness — to divide us based on our differences, to blind us to what we have in common,” he said.

Obama described the attackers as “a sorry band of men who perverted religion.

“They may seek to spark conflict between different faiths, but as Americans we are not — and never will be — at war with Islam,” Obama said. “It was not a religion that attacked us that September day — it was al Qaeda.”

He spoke of the resilience of the American people and pointed out that the 9/11 anniversary is a National Day of Service and Remembrance that emphasizes the country’s “inherent goodness.

“On this day and the days to come, we choose to stay true to our best selves — as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

“This is how we choose to honor the fallen — your families, your friends, your fellow service members. This is how we will keep alive the legacy of these proud and patriotic Americans,” Obama said.

Following the 15-minute ceremony, the president spent 45 minutes walking along the perimeter of the gathering, spending time with the families and friends.

Jim Laychak is chairman of the Pentagon Memorial Fund and brother of David Laychak, a Manassas resident who died at the Pentagon.

Laychak described the remembrance as “a celebration of the lives lost.” He spoke of his brothers’ two children, Zachary and Jennifer, who were 9 and 7 on Sept. 11, 2001. Zachary has just started his freshman year in college and Jennifer is in high school.

“We remember and go on,” Laychak said. “This is not so much a sad occasion as it is a time to celebrate what we’ve accomplished.”