As I watched in disbelief and tried to comprehend how this could have happened, I was stunned by the second plane crashing into the South Tower.

Before long, Congress was evacuated from the Capitol complex. Then news came that the Pentagon had been hit. From the heights of Capitol Hill, smoke could be seen billowing over the Potomac. The thunder of fighter jets circling the nation's capital roared overhead.

As Members, workers and tourists scrambled to find refuge from the destruction, word came that a fourth plane came down in a Pennsylvania farm field.

What followed surprised many. America would not crumble. Instead she came together.  Heroes emerged. The selfless acts of the thousands of firefighters, police personnel, and EMS workers seemed endless. Millions of Americans contributed in some way, big or small, to assist the victims and their families.

The tale of how brave passengers on Flight 93 stormed the cockpit and took on the terrorists gave us a rallying point. They foiled attempts to crash it into either the White House or U.S. Capitol at the cost of their own lives. 

The sacrifices of the hundreds of rescuers who willingly laid down their lives in attempts to save others is a powerful testament to American grit. So many people from New Jersey, nearly a third of the victims, lost their lives. We lost 3,000 people that horrible morning, but we stayed strong.

But I would like to take a moment to tell you about one of those heroes: my friend John O'Neill. John was a former FBI agent who specialized in counterterrorism. After retiring as the head of the New York City FBI office, John took a position as the security director of the World Trade Towers. 

John was a pro. He personally knew the extent terrorists would go to cause violence, but even he could not have been prepared for what happened. But after the planes struck, he knew he had a responsibility to every worker and visitor of those buildings to get them out unharmed. He personally led the evacuation of the first Tower, saving the lives of hundreds of people. But John's dedication to his job and the safety of those in the Towers prompted him to climb the long stairwells of the South Tower to evacuate those who had not begun to come down from the higher floors. It was then that the South Tower came down.

Like so many dedicated rescuers, John lost his life, a family lost a husband and father, and I lost a good friend.

There is an old question that comes to mind when I think of those on board the planes and those who assisted in the rescue effort: Do we ever outgrow our need for heroes? The answer is no.

It is imperative that we remember the sacrifices these individuals made to help a fellow human being, in most cases someone he or she did not know. We must never forget those who perished in New York, Virginia, or Pennsylvania, for they are the victims and part of the great price we pay for freedom.

We must never forget the visions of smoke and ash captured on our televisions and etched into our hearts and souls. These are stark reminders that the greatest country on earth will not crumble in times of crisis and challenges. The spirit of America will never be broken. Buildings may collapse, but America will stand fast.

We have wept for the loss of family and friends, for the orphans and widows and widowers; but we move on to live our lives and try to make the world a better place for our children.

In the future, our nation will most likely continue to be challenged by the enemies of freedom and forces of hatred again. But we will not crumble.