Mayor Eric Adams: Thanks so much. And you know, the saying [we] often hear, “We all gave some, but some gave all.” And when you think about 24 years ago, my son was six years old at the time. And did not fully understand the scope of what had happened on September 11th. I was a lieutenant in the 88th precinct. It was on [Primary] Election Day, there were elections taking place. And I remember when the plane first struck the tower, the first thing that came to my mind was terrorism.
And when you think about 24 years later, and after the attacks, we saw this high level of patriotism. When our national anthem was recited or sung, as it was done today, we would stand up and we'd salute. We would not sit down. We loved our country. And 24 years later, there appears to be this level of just total disdain for the greatest country on the globe. Those who do not remember the lives that were lost, not only here at Ground Zero, but also in Washington and other parts of our country.
And when we have these moments of reflections, of paintings, and a few days when we go down to Ground Zero, it's a moment to remind us, freedom is not free. There's a price attached to it. Your wife, others who have sacrificed their lives, my 19-year-old uncle who died in Vietnam while fighting for this country. This country does not mean you have to believe and agree on everything, but we should believe and agree that this is the greatest country on the globe.
No one, as I say over and over again, no one lines the border to leave America, they line the border to come [to] America. And those who are here should understand that and never take this country for granted. And our responsibility and obligation is to fight for this country and our way of life. From foreign and domestic enemies, we must protect our way of life.
And when I put on that blue uniform and my kid brother put on that blue uniform and my uncle put on the army green and my other uncle put on that uniform to defend this country, we did it because we believe in this country. And it was a devastating day for us when we saw our center of trade collapse. And even as it collapsed, there were those around the globe who cheered to see the destruction that took place in our country.
They said America was over because of what happened on September 11th. But something amazing happened on September 12th. We got up. Teachers taught, builders built, retailers sold their goods. We showed the entire globe what we were made of. And because we got up, America got up. Because we showed our resiliency, America showed her resiliency.
And so once again, let's not kid ourselves. Sleeper cells are still lurking in the shadows of our country and this globe, looking to hurt us, looking to take away our way of life. But we are proud to know that every day, young boys and girls take that oath, enter the Police Department, the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Coast Guards, all of our forces to defend our flag.
And we sit under the tree of freedom because they watered that tree with their blood and their commitment. And I thank you for putting on this presentation, for reminding us why we must ensure the story of 9/11 is forever told and handed down generations after generations after generations. It cannot dissipate over time and the further we move away from that terrible tragedy that day. I'm committed to make sure that it is always told and I'm committed to always remember the lives of not only those we lost on that day, but that we continue to lose just about every day.
Now think about Officer Perry. Officer Perry was retiring on the day of September 11, 2001. He was at One Police Plaza filling out his documentations. He was an attorney, a strong advocate for human and civil rights. When the plane struck, he went to the equipment section and he bought a shirt, a police uniform shirt so he could be there on the ground. He went inside the buildings, the buildings collapsed and we lost him. We lost him. But he was dedicated to giving his life to our city. And for Officer Perry and the thousands others that we lost, let's continue to say it in a very clear, unwavering voice, God Bless America.
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