Rushmore State News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) marked the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks with remarks delivered on the Senate floor in Washington.

Thune reflected on the events of that day, recalling the hijacking of four planes by terrorists and their impact. "Mr. President, 24 years ago, on a bright September day whose blue sky I still remember, terrorists hijacked four planes and flew three of them into the Twin Towers in New York City and into the Pentagon," he said.

He noted that the fourth plane was brought down in Pennsylvania due to passenger intervention. "The fourth plane, possibly headed for this building, was brought down in a field in Pennsylvania after heroic passengers rose up to stop the terrorists."

Thune spoke about the collective memory of that day: "No one who lived through that day will ever forget. The shock, the terror … and the tremendous wave of resolve."

He highlighted acts of heroism and unity following the attacks: "We saw the worst of which humanity is capable in the attacks. But we saw the very best of America in the aftermath. The heroic passengers on Flight 93. The firemen who walked up the stairs into the towers, as civilians were running down. The ordinary Americans who rushed to help. The lines to donate blood. The vast donations raised. The renewed sense of patriotism and national unity."

Reflecting on progress since then, Thune said: "Twenty-four years on, Mr. President, most of the visible scars of the attacks are gone. The Pentagon and One World Trade Center stand proudly." He added his ongoing support for those affected: "But my thoughts and prayers on this anniversary remain with those who still bear the invisible scars of that day. With them, and with all those in the years since who have stood between our country and terror."