The passage of time dulls the senses, so it’s almost impossible to truly recall the shock and horror of that day and the unified sense of purpose of the time immediately following the worst attack on U.S. soil in our country’s history.

The attack was carried out via four jetliners hijacked by 19 members of al-Qaeda. One was crashed into the Pentagon. Brave passengers prevented another Washington D.C. target from being hit by overpowering the hijackers on their plane over Pennsylvania. Two were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

Two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-seven (2,977) people from 70 countries became innocent victims that day, including every passenger and crew member on all four airliners. Many of us personally knew at least one of the victims.

The impact on our country – from airports to border crossings – has been widespread and enduring. Whole new federal agencies have been created and law enforcement powers have been expanded.

Most critical, though, is that we – each American citizen – remember. Remember what we’ve suffered, but also what we’ve overcome. Through the diligence and hard work of the American people the United States has recovered, and then some. Our economy and our country are strong and will grow stronger, because of our people, as long as we are diligent and continue to have confidence in each other and our way of life.

The best response we can have now is to do just that – live out the American dream, and let our success speak for itself.