“Never forget.” These are the words you’ll hear as Americans share their memories and grief for the attacks we experienced on September 11, 2001. Throughout the years, over 700 memorials and tributes have been created across the U.S. Whether you grieve in private or want to gain support from others, here are just a few of the many 9/11 living memorials you can visit and pay your respects to. While they are incredibly relevant to remember in September, we urge you to make time to visit these any time of year.
Tribute in Light
The destruction of the World Trade Center’s twin towers left a physical and emotional emptiness in the heart of NYC. As a result, the Municipal Art Society of New York decided to light up that empty space annually. Since 2012, the 9/11 Memorial Museum produces a stunning 24-hour tribute every September 11 at dusk. More than 80 searchlights generate a shape of two vertical columns that shine four miles into the sky. On a clear night, everyone out in NYC can see the tribute within a 60-mile radius to honor the victims and heroes that left the 9/11 attacks.
To the Struggle Against Terrorism Memorial
Back in 2005, the Russian government gave this 10-story sculpture to the United States as a gift to honor the victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks. This monument is also known as the Tear Drop memorial, and it’s one of the most heart-touching 9/11 tributes in the world. If you are out in New Jersey, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Bayonne and pay your respects at this giant tear drop structure.
The Pentagon
Via Bigstock © BILLPERRY
This memorial features several monuments that represent each of the 184 lives lost that day due to the crash of Flight 77. Depending on the direction of the memorial units, visitors learn where each victim was at the moment of the attacks. Therefore, monuments pointing toward The Pentagon represent victims who were passengers of Flight 77. In addition, the ones pointing on the opposite direction represent victims that died inside the building. One heart-touching reason to plan a road trip to Arlington, Virginia.
Postcards
Built in 2004, Postcards is a permanent memorial located in Staten Island, New York City. It appears like the two wing-shaped monuments resemble postcards sent to lost loved ones. In addition, the inside walls of the structures are decorated with granite plaques. Each plaque contains the name, birth date, and place of work of a victim. Postcards has the perfect location for visitors that want to honor the victims in a quiet and uncrowded place.
Flight 93 National Memorial
Via Bigstock © karenfoley photography
September 11, 2001: Four flights were hijacked with the intention to hit targets on U.S. land. One of the flights, United Flight 93 crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The crash was due to an effort of passengers and crew members to stop the hijackers. As a result, this memorial is dedicated to them, to those heroes in Flight 93 that gave their life to try and save others. Finally, when visiting this tribute, don’t forget to walk through Memorial Plaza, not only does it mark the edge of the crash site but it also includes the Wall of Names (pictured above) of Flight 93 victims.
Take a moment today to honor more than 3,000 victims whose lives were taken on September 11, 2001. For additional information about these and more landmarks and memorials dedicated to them, visit VoicesOfSeptember11.org.
Never forget.
