9/11: United States marks 11th anniversary of attacks

Americans marked the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks around the country with remembrances this week. President Obama attended ceremonies at the Pentagon, Vice President Joe Biden spoke in Shanksville, Pa., and the names of victims were read by relatives during a memorial service at the World Trade Center in New York. The attacks, which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people, were the deadliest terrorist strike on American soil. - Lloyd Young ( 44 photos total)

Firefighters pay there respects at the 9/11 memorial, during ceremonies for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2012 in New York City. New York and the nation are commemorating the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks which resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people after two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. and one crash landed in Shanksville, Pa. (John Moore/AFP/Getty Images)

Port Authority Police Officers carry an American flag that flew over at the World Trade Center towers during memorial ceremonies for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11. (Justin Lane/Getty Images #

Julia Rivas holds her son's picture, Moises N. Rivas who worked at the World Trade Center, during the commemoration ceremony of the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by the North Pool at World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11. (Chang W. Lee/The New York via Associated Press) #

Ava Kathleen Schmoelzer (7) from Stamford, Ct. places flowers on the South Tower memorial pool wall for her aunt during observances for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11. (Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images #

United States Army 2nd Lieutenant Michelle Mudge wipes a tear during ceremonies for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. (John Moore/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ava Kathleen Schmoelzer (7) makes a rubbing of her aunt's Kathleen Moran name during memorial ceremonies for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site Sept. 11. (Justin Lane/Getty Images) #

A relative sports a tattoo of his late family member during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. (Eric Thayer/Reuters) #

A reader breaks down in tears while reading victims names during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. (Eric Thayer/Reuters) #

A man holds up a picture of his relative who perished in the attacks during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. (Eric Thayer/Reuters) #

John Cassidy pauses outside of the World Trade Center site on the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) #

Roses and a flag left by mourners adorn the names of victims of 9/11 during a ceremony marking the 11th anniversary of the attacks. (Jason DeCrow/Associated Press) #

People pause outside of the World Trade Center site on the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) #

Firefighters pay their respects at one of the reflective pools during observances for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site. (Mary Altaffer/Getty Images) #

Melissa Pullis, of Hazlet, N.J. stands at the engraving for her husband Edward during memorial ceremonies for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. (Justin Lane/Getty Images) #

New York City firefighters of Engine 33, Ladder 9 observe a moment of silence during ceremonies for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. Engine 33, Ladder 9 lost ten firefighters in the attacks. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) #

The construction of One World Trade Center, now up to 104 floors, is seen on Sept. 11, 2012 across the Hudson River as a runner glides his hand at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J., along the wall of 'Empty Sky.' New Jersey's memorial to the 749 people from the state lost during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. (Mel Evans/Associated Press) #

Members of the American Brotherhood New York Motorcycle Club at the South Tower pool during observances held on the 11th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images) #

A firefighter's hat sits on names of firefighters who perished, at the South Pool during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. (Justin Lane/Reuters) #

Khudeza Begum etches the name of her slain nephew during ceremonies for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. (John Moore/Getty Images) #

Frances Mercado places a flower on the etched name of her late sister, Myrna T. Maldonado-Agosto, at the North Pool during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. (Chang W. Lee/Reuters) #

A man walks past a mural depicting the twin towers on the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) #

Jeremy Hamilton places a United States flag next to a memorial bearing two pieces of steel from the World Trade Center in Weehawken, N.J. across from the skyline of New York. Thousands will gather in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania to mark the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. (Gary Hershorn/Reuters) #

Carrie Bergonia remembers her fiancee, firefighter Joseph Ogren, who was killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, during a ceremony marking the 11th anniversary of the attacks at the National Sept. 11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site in New York. (Todd Maisel/Associated Press #

Jillian Suarez (left) consoles Eloy Suarez as he mourns during observances for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site. (Mary Altaffer/Getty Images #

A woman listens as names of victims are read during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11. (Mary Altaffer/Reuters) #

Scott Willens, who joined the United States Army three days after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, pauses by the South Pool of the World Trade Center Memorial during the 11th anniversary observance. (Justin Lane/Associated Press) #

Vincenzo Scibetta is consoled by his father Charles Scibetta as his mother Adrian Victoria's name is read during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. (Mary Altaffer/Reuters) #

Andrew Timson (7) makes a rubbing of the name of his uncle, Andrew Fisher, at ceremonies for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. (John Moore/AFP/Getty Images) #

United States President Barack Obama (right) First Lady Michelle Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (center) pay their respects in front of a wreath during a ceremony commemorating the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Sept. 11, 2012 at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) #

Relatives of 9/11 victims weep as United States President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta observe a moment of silence on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

An unidentified man sits alone on a bench before a memorial service on the 11th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 to honor the 184 people who lost their lives when American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon outside Washington. (Larry Downing/Reuters) #

United States President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama tour the graves of Section 60 during their visit to Arlington National Cemetery on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks near Washington. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

Forty luminaria are placed at the wall of names in memory of the 40 passengers and crew of United Flight 93 at the Flight 93 National Memorial at sunset on Sept. 10 in Shanksville, Pa. (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press) #

United Airlines flight attendents stand in front of of the Wall of Names at the Flight 93 National Memorial during observances commemorating the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Sept. 11 in Shanksville, Pa. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) #

Ken Terrell from Cambridge, Mass. paused to read the names at the Logan Airport 9/11 Memorial of those killed on planes that left Boston on Sept. 11, 2001. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe) #

A boy runs among flags flying at Pepperdine University in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks against the United States on Sept. 10, 2012 in Malibu, Calif. Nearly 3,000 flags for of each person killed that day were erected. The installation of flags has been an annual event since Sept. 2011 and will remain on display until the close of Pepperdine's 75th anniversary celebrations on Sept. 19. (David McNew/Associated Press) #

Norwich University senior Kyle Rau from Oak Creek, Wi., marches during a vigil in memory of the victims of Sept. 11 in Northfield, Vt. Norwich students planted 2,977 American flags on the college's parade ground and are holding a vigil from midnight to midnight in remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks. (Toby Talbot/Associated Press) #

Syracuse firefighter Seth Shapess, of Engine Company 3, takes his turn to sit in remembrance on the 9/11 anniversary at Fayette Firefighters Park in Syracuse, N.Y. on Sept. 11. (Ellen M. Blalock/The Post-Standard via Associated Press) #

Zachary Ellicott, who lost a family member, Keith James Burns, pauses during the moment of silence in observance of the time Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pa. during ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. (Chang W. Lee/Reuters) #

Geraldine Shaw of East Windsor, N.J. looks at the name of her son Jeffrey on a panel of the north pool during observances for the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. (Chris Pedota/Getty Images #

The Tribute in Light shines as One World Trade Center (right) rises under construction on the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 in New York. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) #

Jewish men lean over from the side deck of the Staten Island Ferry to get a glimpse of the Tribute in Light which illuminates the sky over lower Manhattan in remembrance of the 9/11 attacks on the 11th anniversary in New York. (Adrees Latif/Reuters) #

The Tribute in Light illuminates the sky over New York's lower Manhattan skyline a day ahead of the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as Natsuki of Yokohama, Japan, raises his arms for a portrait in Brooklyn on Sept. 10. (Adrees Latif/Reuters) #

The Tribute in Light illuminates the sky over lower Manhattan in remembrance of the 9/11 attacks on the 11th anniversary in New York on Sept. 11. (Eric Thayer/Reuters) #

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