On September 11, 2001, nineteen terrorists who were members of al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist network, hijacked four commercial airplanes. In a coordinated attack, the hijackers intentionally flew two of the planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, and a third into the Pentagon. Learning about the other hijackings, passengers and crew members on the fourth plane launched a counterattack, spurring the hijacker pilot to crash the plane into a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed on that day, the single largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil; and
Within hours of the September 11, 2001 attacks, millions of people across the world felt compelled to respond to the crisis. Volunteers and trained professionals from near and far rushed to help in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Flight 93 sites.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum will soon lead the nation, and the world, as we mark the passage of two decades since the day that changed our lives forever. The focus of our commemoration will be the reading of the names by family members' in-person. Throughout the ceremony, six moments of silence will be observed, acknowledging when each of the World Trade Center towers was struck and fell, and the times corresponding to the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93. The first moment of silence will be observed at 8:46 a.m. At sundown, the annual "Tribute in Light" will once again illuminate the sky in commemoration of the anniversary of the attacks.
The Mayor and Marana Town Council do hereby declare September 11, 2021, as "National 20th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 (9-11)," and encourages the Marana Community and the houses of worship to toll their bells, and observe the six moments of silence in remembrance and honor of the many individuals who perished that day, as well as honoring the First Responders who bravely responded during that event in American history.
