How 9/11 Is Being Remembered at the Sites of the September Attacks

New York City is taking note of the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Tuesday, with a gathering at the World Trace Center memorial plaza.

The gathering was attended by the New York City Police Department, as well as the relatives of victims, according to a report by the Associated Press. Survivors of the attack were also present, as well as rescuers who worked on the site and dignitaries from the city and around the world.

“17 years ago, Americans went to bed with no thought the next day their world would change forever,” tweeted a nearby NYPD precinct. “Hundreds packed flight bags they would not live to open. Thousands slept with loved ones for the last time. Never miss a chance to let those held dearest know your [love] for them.”

The memorial plaza is a massive display where the Twin Towers once stood. According to its official website, it also contains the “largest manmade waterfalls in the United States.” Each of its pools covers about one acre. In addition, the site also has the National 9/11 Memorial Museum, with physical remnants and debris from the targeted buildings on display. The wreckage is tangible, and the markings made by rescuers in those desperate days are preserved as well.

A total of almost 3,000 people were killed on Sept. 11, 2001. Their names will be recited at the World Trade Center Memorial Plaza.

The memorial is not the only event of remembrance planned for Tuesday. President Donald Trump himself is reportedly visiting the 9/11 memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, along with First Lady Melania Trump. It is the place where the fourth planned attack was foiled, when 40 passengers and crew members stormed the cockpit hoping to stop the hijackers. President Trump is expected to make remarks at the vigil.

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence is reportedly at the Pentagon, where a plane crashed directly into the building. Another ceremony will take place there.

“Today, we remember our beloved fallen, whose names are enshrined at this Pentagon Memorial and will forever be etched in the hearts of the American people for as long as this Nation endures,” he tweeted.

Over the course of the morning, many public figures posted their solemn commemorations of the terror attacks.

“Departing Washington, D.C. to attend a Flight 93 September 11th Memorial Service in Shanksville, Pennsylvania with Melania. #NeverForget,” the president tweeted, after spending the morning posting about the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling. Later, he addressed 9/11 again.

“17 years since September 11!” he wrote.