At 8:46 that morning, Bloomberg opened the service with a moment of silence. Among the performers to help commemorate the event were Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Simon and James Taylor.
Former President George W. Bush was also in attendance, offering his sympathy and support. Current President Barack Obama continued the service by reading a passage from The Bible. Quoting Psalm 46, he spoke of the Lord being our “refuge and strength.”
“It was gorgeous, tasteful and respectful. It was so much better than I had expected,” said survivor Deb Feldman told reporters. The service featured the reading of the victim’s names. It took roughly five hours to complete the list.
The service on Sunday was open only to family members of the al-Qaeda attacks. The memorial opened to the public the following day and required prior reservations to be made. Some 7,000 people made reservations to view the memorial for Monday.
“The effect seeks to create closure for families of the nearly 40 percent of victims whose bodies were completely obliterated during the attacks,” reported Chiff.com. The memorial site now features the country’s largest man-made waterfalls, pouring into the reflective pools below.
In addition, New York residents could see the “Tribute in Light.” Presented by the Municipal Arts Society, the lights ran from dawn to dusk, pointing to the sky where the towers once stood.
The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was a solemn day for Americans as we gathered together to remember the lives lost. President Obama then proceeded to the Shanksville and Pentagon memorial sites.