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09.11.06

"Miller Recognizes Spirit of Service and Resilience on Fifth Anniversary of September 11th"

Raleigh, NC – Today Rep. Brad Miller (NC-13) honors the spirit of sacrifice and duty of ordinary Americans on the fifth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The Congressman will attend the commemoration ceremony at the IMAX theatre in the Exploris Museum in downtown Raleigh, 201 E. Hargett St., 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Full text of Congressman Miller’s remarks as prepared for delivery at the September 11th Anniversary Commemoration at the Exploris IMAX Theatre:

"We’ve come to call the generation who fought the Second World War our “greatest generation.” That generation’s greatness is beyond doubt, and our nation’s commitment to prosecuting that war was remarkable. Sixteen million Americans served in the armed forces, and 400,000 lost their lives. We should all be proud of that generation of Americans, my parents’ generation.

"We learned on September 11, 2001, that we are still a great nation, that we are still a courageous and resilient people, that we will still make any sacrifice required to protect our democracy and our way of life. We were reminded what extraordinary people ordinary Americans are.

"The passengers and crew of Flight 93, including Sandy Bradshaw, in whom all North Carolinians justly take pride, fought back. She and the other flight attendants boiled water to throw on the terrorists who had hijacked the flight. She spoke with her husband the last time by cell phone and told him that she heard a passenger whispering the 23rd psalm for comfort and strength. Then the passengers charged the hijackers. All aboard Flight 93 died in a field in Pennsylvania, but the heroism of the passengers and crew kept the flight from striking the hijackers’ intended target, almost certainly the Capitol, a sacred symbol to all Americans of our nation, our history, our democracy.

"In New York, firefighters and other first responders rushed into the World Trade Center towers, disregarding their own safety. Even after the first tower collapsed, first responders continued without pause to enter the other tower. That day 343 firefighters died at the World Trade Center.

"Across America, Americans displayed flags at our homes and our workplaces. We remembered what our country is about. We remembered who we are as a people. We were proud, and we were resolute.

"Today we honor those who sacrificed on 9/11. We honor those who died in the line of duty. We honor the Americans who volunteered to become firefighters or other first responders and to serve in our military. We honor those already in service who re-enlisted. We honor the Americans who volunteered to donate blood; so many that blood banks were overwhelmed.

"Today we honor the extraordinary acts of all of those ordinary Americans. And today we renew the pride and the resolve that we felt five years ago."

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