Chuck Hagel: “on September 11, 2001, a day that will be seared into our national memory, the United States was suddenly, deliberately…”

“on September 11, 2001, a day that will be seared into our national memory, the United States was suddenly, deliberately and viciously attacked by ruthless terrorists. Thousands of innocent civilians were killed in a brief, violent, and unprecedented massacre. They died because they were Americans. Through the actions of Tuesday, the United States was violently shaken from a post-cold-war stupor. The attacks were well planned, well resourced, and well coordinated by deadly warriors willing to kill innocent civilians. It was an act of war. From a formidable, unseen enemy. Today, in the aftermath, America sifts through the rubble and debris, searching for survivors, victims, evidence, and answers. While the smoke still billows from the Pentagon and site of the World Trade Center, the sickening feeling of senseless devastation places an icy grip on our hearts. The outrage builds in our national soul as we hear of the phone calls to loved ones that ended with a dead line and of rescuers who became victims; as we learn the identities of the lost and began to understand the scope of this deliberate act of war perpetrated on American soil. September 11, 2001, is likely to emerge as the deadliest day in the history of the United States.”