Sept. 11 memorials set across the nation
Victims of 2001 attacks to be remembered
By Sara Kugler/Associated Press/New York
September 11, 2003
The thousands killed on Sept. 11 will be honored where they died and across the nation on the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks Thursday, with cities falling silent, names read aloud, wreaths laid and bells tolling for the dead.
Two years to the minute after hijackers crashed American Flight 11 into the World Trade Center's north tower, victims' relatives and dignitaries will pause in silence at ground zero. In Washington, President Bush will observe the 8:46 a.m. moment on the South Lawn of the White House.
At the trade center, on a stage near where the north tower once stood, 200 children will take turns reading the 2,792 names of people lost in the attack.
"I thought it would be a good way to honor my dad, and to honor the other people," said 11-year-old Madilynn Morris, who will recite 14 names, ending with her father, Seth Allan Morris.
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The trade center program -- similar to last year's three-hour memorial -- will include readings by family members, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, his successor, Michael Bloomberg, and the governors of New York and New Jersey. Following last year's practice, speeches will be limited.
A children's chorus will sing several songs, concluding the ceremony with "America the Beautiful." As the sun sets, two beams pointing skyward will be switched on, invoking the image of the twin towers.
When the children read the victims' names at ground zero, Madilynn Morris' mother hopes Americans are watching and paying attention to their young, solemn faces. Madilynn's 35-year-old father was among the 658 employees of the bond firm Cantor Fitzgerald who were killed the attack.
"Maybe people will think, 'That could have been my kid standing up there,' and we'll continue the fight against terrorism so another child doesn't have to lose a parent," Lynn Morris said.
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