Never Forget: Ceremonies Across State Remember 9/11 Attack Victims, Including 68 Marylanders

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Across the country and across Maryland, Americans memorialized the nearly 3,000 victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks Friday on the 19th anniversary of the tragedy.

At the site of the attack in New York City, mourners took part in a socially distant ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rather than an in-person reading, the names of the victims were read in a recording.

Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden both attended the ceremony.

President Trump, meanwhile, delivered remarks in the Pennsylvania field where Flight 93 crashed, where he thanked the passengers who kept the plane from reaching its intended target in the nation's capital.

In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford laid wreaths at the Maryland Fire-Rescue Services Memorial in memory of the victims, 68 of whom were from Maryland.

"I ask Marylanders to once again join us in praying for the victims of 9/11, for their families, and for the heroic first responders who didn't hesitate to answer the call," he tweeted.

In Annapolis, midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy placed nearly 3,000 flags along Stribling Walk on Thursday ahead of the anniversary.

Due to the pandemic, the Salisbury Fire Department opted to hold its memorial event virtually.

In a video message, Chief John Tull honored the victims of what he described as the most significant tragedy to hit the U.S. since the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

"Today we honor our pledge of never forgetting," he said. "Never forgetting the unspeakable acts of evil that we watched unfold and never forgetting the incredible acts of bravery and courage that we witnessed by so many."

At Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, crews hung a large flag on the side of the fire department building.

The Maryland National Guard, meanwhile, plans to hold a virtual ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday to honor the victims of the attack.

In:
• Maryland
• Wicomico County
• Anne Arundel County