On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, families will gather at the World Trade Center and Pentagon for memorial rituals, including wreath-laying, flag-flying, and readings of victims' names. The attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 people in 2001. President Donald Trump plans to attend the ceremony at the Pentagon today, while Vice-President JD Vance is expected to be at the National September 11 Memorial in New York. Remembrances are also being held across the country, from New Hampshire's Mount Washington to Honolulu's 9/11 memorial.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
It is the 25th anniversary of 9/11, as Americans come together to remember and commemorate the devastating effects of the attacks, which claimed the lives of 2,977 victims.
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which → come → victims
Today’s milestone anniversary will bring memorial rituals – wreath-laying, flag-flying, moments of silence, vigils and readings of victims’ names - and volunteer projects in tribute to the day.
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anniversary → bring → day
“In the course of history, there are a few moments that divide time into, really, what came before” and after, president Donald Trump said at a 9/11 remembrance in Washington this week.
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Trump → be → Washington
The Republican, who was in New York on 11 September 2001, has often recounted his memories and said he plans to attend the Pentagon’s anniversary ceremony later today.
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he → recount → ceremony
Vice-president JD Vance is expected to attend the observance at the National September 11 Memorial in New York, while other administration officials are headed to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.
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officials → expect → Pennsylvania
Planned remembrances extend far beyond the attack sites, from beams of light projecting from New Hampshire’s Mount Washington to a stair climb at Mississippi State University’s football stadium to a ceremony at Honolulu’s 9/11 memorial.
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remembrances → extend → memorial
In other developments elsewhere today:
Donald Trump doubled down on his pledge to pay all US adults $5,000 if Republicans hold on to control of Congress in the midterm elections.
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Republicans → double → elections
He’s one of the few people to actually mention the pledge tonight, as many lawmakers and officials – including his vice-president, JD Vance – avoided mentioning the so-called “dividend” altogether.
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lawmakers → ’ → dividend
Trump defended his plan: “We can do that because our country has never done better.
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country → defend → that
We’re taking in trillions, trillions of dollars.”
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We → take → dollars
In a shorter address to voters than his nearly two-hour speech on Wednesday, Trump again pleaded with voters to “pretend I’m on the ticket” in November.
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I → plead → November
In an improvised pledge of allegiance to himself, Trump directed the audience to commit to voting in the midterm elections at all costs.
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Trump → improvise → costs
The president asked Republicans in the arena to repeat: “I don’t care if I’m registered or not.
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I → ask → arena
I’m going to try.
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I → go → ?
And cheat like hell like they do.”
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they → cheat → hell
Trump also told those gathered in Dallas that they would “go to hell” if they didn’t vote.
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they → tell → hell
Earlier, JD Vanceurged Republicans who may oppose parts of the Trump administration’s agenda not to abandon the party in November’s congressional races.
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who → vanceurge → races
The vice-president pointed to Charlie Kirk – the conservative activist killed a year ago today – to argue that voters shouldn’t “throw the baby out with the bathwater” over “a policy issue here or there”, an apparent nod to dissent over the Iran war that he avoided naming.
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he → point → that
He spent much of his time on stage setting out the threats of the so-called “far left”, listing the administration’s greatest hits and slamming Joe Biden’s tenure in office.
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He → spend → office
Meanwhile, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the arena to protest Trump’s policy agenda.
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dozens → gather → agenda
Dallas police said that two people were taken into custody after an alleged assault involving a counter-protester and for blocking a roadway.
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people → say → roadway
He has told the story hundreds of times, but it never seems to fade.
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it → tell → times
If anything, it only becomes more vivid.
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it → become → ?
“Oh, gosh,” exclaims Stanley Praimnath, his voice cracking with an “ooooooh!” as if bearing a weight.
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voice → exclaim → weight
“It’s like reliving that day.”
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It → ’ → day
Nearly 3,000 people died in the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington DC on September 11 2001.
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people → die → September
But Praimnath and another office worker, Brian Clark, were two of only four individuals known to have survived from above the impact zone in either tower of the World Trade Center.
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Praimnath → know → Center
The two strangers met in the smoke and fire of the 81st floor of the south tower, and walked down 1,620 steps into the rest of their lives.
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strangers → meet → lives
Their split-second decisions that day made all the difference.
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decisions → make → difference
Over the next 25 years, both men moved from middle age into old age and retirement.
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men → move → age
Both enjoyed family weddings and watched children and grandchildren grow.
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children → enjoy → weddings
Both saw US presidents come and go as old wars ended and new wars began.
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wars → see → ?
They remained friends through it all.
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They → remain → it
They also told their story – countless times – in churches, schools, TV studios and elsewhere.
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They → tell → churches
“It could be 800, 1,200, a number like that,” Clark estimates.
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Clark → estimate → that
Praimnath, in a separate interview, muses: “People refer to me as ‘the 9/11 guy’.
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People → muse → guy
It doesn’t feel repetitive.
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It → feel → ?
It is like unloading baggage from my shoulder, like washing my soul with tears.
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It → unload → tears
It is comforting to know that people out there still want to hear.
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It → know → ?
On 11 September, 25 years ago, Osama bin Laden drove with a small number of al-Qaida retainers and aides to a remote location in eastern Afghanistan.
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Laden → drive → Afghanistan
…and 94 more, not listed.
