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CNN Live At Daybreak
Ground Zero Ceremony
Aired September 11, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Today, Americans pause to remember the 9/11 attacks. Memorials will take place in communities across the nation, but the events holding the greatest significance will be at the sites where Americans were killed. So, take a look.
At 8:46 a.m. Eastern, when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center's North Tower, there will be a moment of silence at ground zero. Afterwards, children who lost relatives there will read the names of the 2,792 people who died.
And there will be a moment of silence at the Pentagon, too, around 9:43 a.m. Eastern, when a jet's impact killed 184 people. A short distance away, there will be a wreath laying at the Arlington National Cemetery.
And at 10:10 a.m. Eastern, bells will toll throughout Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Of course, that's where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.
Let's go to ground zero now, where the ceremonies will kick off in just a few hours. Deborah Feyerick is there now.
And, Deborah, I know the ceremonies will be quite moving.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are very moving, just packed with emotion. Many people are still coping with the scope of this tragedy. Families and friends, thousands of them, are right now en route, making their way to the World Trade Center site. The actual ceremony begins at 8:38 this morning.
As you mentioned, there are going to be four moments of silence here in New York -- two when each of the towers were struck and two when those towers fell. Bells are going to be tolling throughout the city.
Firefighters will be standing at attention at fire stations throughout New York. Remember, three of every four station houses lost somebody two years ago.
Children are going to be reading the names of their fathers, their mothers, their aunts, their uncles, their grandparents. Again, the focus on the children this year is emphasizing that everyone is looking towards the future.
Now, the ceremony began last night with a candlelight vigil. Thousands turned out for that. They held paper lanterns, and they marched about a mile from Union Station down here to the World Trade Center, and once they got here, they formed a circle -- what they called a circle of hope. That vigil was organized by a group that says that they oppose a military response to the attacks. Remember, these attacks setting off a string of events that redefined America's future.
Today is expected to be very emotional. There will be poems read. There will be some speeches. But again, very low key, very quiet, very somber -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, just looking at the site, Deborah, it's amazing how far it's come since that terrible day, and the spirit that Americans -- you know, that they had to clean that up so quickly.
FEYERICK: The site was cleaned much faster than anybody anticipated at a much lower cost. It was really a sense of mission when people began excavating the debris, and we're talking almost two million tons of debris that was removed from this site over a period that encompassed less than a year -- a real sense of purpose, a real sense of mission.
Now, there is some rebuilding that we're seeing. Plans were controversial at first, as people tried to figure out the best way to use this space. Now, they've gotten buildings that they are planning on constructing. However, still at issue is the memorial. The memorial is, obviously, very sensitive. Some people, some families think that nothing should be built on this site, that it should be preserved as hallowed ground. Others thinking that we should show a move towards the future -- that America should show a move towards the future by, again, giving a new boost to this area.
COSTELLO: Deborah Feyerick live from ground zero this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired September 11, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Today, Americans pause to remember the 9/11 attacks. Memorials will take place in communities across the nation, but the events holding the greatest significance will be at the sites where Americans were killed. So, take a look.
At 8:46 a.m. Eastern, when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center's North Tower, there will be a moment of silence at ground zero. Afterwards, children who lost relatives there will read the names of the 2,792 people who died.
And there will be a moment of silence at the Pentagon, too, around 9:43 a.m. Eastern, when a jet's impact killed 184 people. A short distance away, there will be a wreath laying at the Arlington National Cemetery.
And at 10:10 a.m. Eastern, bells will toll throughout Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Of course, that's where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.
Let's go to ground zero now, where the ceremonies will kick off in just a few hours. Deborah Feyerick is there now.
And, Deborah, I know the ceremonies will be quite moving.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are very moving, just packed with emotion. Many people are still coping with the scope of this tragedy. Families and friends, thousands of them, are right now en route, making their way to the World Trade Center site. The actual ceremony begins at 8:38 this morning.
As you mentioned, there are going to be four moments of silence here in New York -- two when each of the towers were struck and two when those towers fell. Bells are going to be tolling throughout the city.
Firefighters will be standing at attention at fire stations throughout New York. Remember, three of every four station houses lost somebody two years ago.
Children are going to be reading the names of their fathers, their mothers, their aunts, their uncles, their grandparents. Again, the focus on the children this year is emphasizing that everyone is looking towards the future.
Now, the ceremony began last night with a candlelight vigil. Thousands turned out for that. They held paper lanterns, and they marched about a mile from Union Station down here to the World Trade Center, and once they got here, they formed a circle -- what they called a circle of hope. That vigil was organized by a group that says that they oppose a military response to the attacks. Remember, these attacks setting off a string of events that redefined America's future.
Today is expected to be very emotional. There will be poems read. There will be some speeches. But again, very low key, very quiet, very somber -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, just looking at the site, Deborah, it's amazing how far it's come since that terrible day, and the spirit that Americans -- you know, that they had to clean that up so quickly.
FEYERICK: The site was cleaned much faster than anybody anticipated at a much lower cost. It was really a sense of mission when people began excavating the debris, and we're talking almost two million tons of debris that was removed from this site over a period that encompassed less than a year -- a real sense of purpose, a real sense of mission.
Now, there is some rebuilding that we're seeing. Plans were controversial at first, as people tried to figure out the best way to use this space. Now, they've gotten buildings that they are planning on constructing. However, still at issue is the memorial. The memorial is, obviously, very sensitive. Some people, some families think that nothing should be built on this site, that it should be preserved as hallowed ground. Others thinking that we should show a move towards the future -- that America should show a move towards the future by, again, giving a new boost to this area.
COSTELLO: Deborah Feyerick live from ground zero this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
