20 Memorial Quotes to Honor the Victims of 9/11

It’s been 20 years since the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 occurred and changed the course of U.S. history forever. The ramifications of 9/11 still affect us today, and we continue to honor those who died and sacrificed their lives to save others. We now mark the date as Patriot Day and the days leading up to September 11th as National Days of Prayer and Remembrance. Reflect on these 20 inspiring, patriotic quotes from survivors and public servants to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the attacks. We will truly never forget.

Memorial Quotes for 9/11

• “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” -Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl
• “Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.” -President Barack Obama
• “You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy.” -Colin Powell
• “For me and my family personally, September 11 was a reminder that life is fleeting, impermanent, and uncertain. Therefore, we must make use of every moment and nurture it with affection, tenderness, beauty, creativity, and laughter.” -Deepak Chopra
• “September 11, 2001, revealed heroism in ordinary people who might have gone through their lives never called upon to demonstrate the extent of their courage.” -Geraldine Brooks, author

Hopeful Quotes for 9/11

• “We didn’t crumble after 9/11. We didn’t falter after the Boston Marathon. But we’re America. Americans will never, ever stand down. We endure. We overcome. We own the finish line.” -President Joe Biden
• "No day shall erase you from the memory of time." -Virgil's Aeneid, featured at the 9/11 Memorial Museum
• “No matter what our particular job, especially in our world today, we all are called to be tikkun olam: “repairers of creation.” Thank you for whatever you do, wherever you are, to bring joy and light and hope and faith and pardon and love to your neighbor and yourself.” -Fred Rogers
• "When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible. We’re not about what happened on 9/11. We’re about what happened on 9/12." -Jeff Parness, founder of New York Says Thank You
• “One of the worst days in America’s history saw some of the bravest acts in Americans’ history. We’ll always honor the heroes of 9/11. And here at this hallowed place, we pledge that we will never forget their sacrifice.” -President George W. Bush

Quotes of Remembrance for 9/11

• "On September 11 I always take the day off. I want to be in a peaceful quiet place praying. It is a day I both mourn and celebrate." -Genelle Guzman-McMillan, 9/11 survivor
• “Life is precious, I tell them. It can be gone in an instant." -Brian Clark, 9/11 survivor
• "I still have the shoes I wore to work that day. The soles are melted and they’re caked in ash. I keep them in a shoebox with the word “deliverance” written all around it. They’re kind of like my ark, a reminder of God’s presence and the life I owe to him." -Stanley Praimnath, 9/11 survivor
• “What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.” -David Levithan, author
• “Remember the hours after Sept. 11 when we came together as one! It was the worst day we have ever seen, but it brought out the best in all of us.” -John Kerry

Thoughtful Quotes for 9/11

• "I may never know the answers to the questions that plagued me after 9/11. But I know if we lean on God and each other we will be guided to a better, brighter future." -Michael Hingson, 9/11 survivor
• "The moment to spend with a husband who loves me, or a sick friend, or a delicious new grandchild is here and now. Not some time later....The nation learned this lesson all at once that horrible day in September 2001. The pictures stay with us—the fires and falling debris, and, most hauntingly, the faces. Look how young so many of them were, people who thought there would be much more time, a lot of 'later' when they could do all the things they really wanted to do. I grieve for their families—especially for those, like me, who haven't found any trace of the people they loved. But I grieve even more for the people who died that day. They couldn't know what we know now about the precious gift of time." -Cokie Roberts
• “Any person of faith knows that evil is omnipresent, and the struggle we face is to overcome the tendency to lash out in violence at each other. My religion starts with the story of one brother murdering another. Human nature is always going to challenge us. But I believe that God has a purpose, and the challenge of being human is to overcome the cheap, easy allure of evil.” -Hillary Clinton
• “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead, we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.” -Then-New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
• “So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.” -From “The Names” by Billy Collins, poet

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