General president of IAFF reflects on 25 years since 9/11

0:00Listen to your favorite MS now shows anytime as a podcast. Enjoy new episodes of Morning Joe, Deadline White House and The Rachel Maddo Show. Every small, deep, democratic muscle that we have is flexing. Plus the last word with Laurence O'Donnell, the beat with Ari Melber, The Weeknight, and more. On the go, wherever you get your podcasts, for ad-free listening to all of your favorite shows, subscribe to MS now Premium on Apple Podcasts. It is just before 8 o'clock in the morning here, the ground zero in New York City, the 9-11 terrorist attacks here, killed 343 members of the FDNY, and a New York fire patrolman.

1:05He ensuing toxic exposure at ground zero since, has claimed the lives of hundreds more firefighters. And we're joined now by Ed Kelly, General President of the International Association of Firefighters, who by the way also was here in the days and weeks after the attacks of September 11th. Ed, it's great to be with you on this day. Want to talk about the firefighters that you represent, want to talk about their heroism on that day, and what you've done to bring them care in the years since. But also, just your thoughts as we sit here, 25 years later, we mentioned 343 plus the patrolman who died on that day. But also the hundreds more than that even who died in the years since. What are your thoughts this morning? Well, Willie, thanks for having me first off. And it's all inspiring to sit here, overlooking the memorials that were built as a tribute to the lives that were lost that day. 343 FDNY members, one New York City fighter patrolman Keith Rolman, who also, every single one of them acted incredibly heroically that day.

2:05Along with many other civilians, we lost police officers that day. When America was attacked, when our way of life was attacked, we responded. We responded as a country. And the epinicle of that response was the FDNY, the firefighters that responded from right here at 10 House, and all of them had and Brooklyn and Staten Island and the Bronx, who in Queens, that came here. And when they were responded into this incident, looking up at those towers, burning, they knew that some of them were going to their deaths, and they went anyways. And I think what they did, the heroism that they showed, inspired a generation to put others before self. Many, many, many Americans raised their right hand, took a note to join the military to fight the war on terror, inspired by the sacrifice that was made that day. And I think of the heroics that they showed us how to not only live, but how to die.

3:07And I'll forever be indebted to those that taught me how to serve. And we're still inspired to this day by those images of firefighters walking up the stairs, while everyone else is running down, a fire truck's racing down the west side, highway, while everyone is running in the other direction. That is the story of firefighters. And you point out, we listened to a moment from President Bush, speaking this week, about how he was shocked by how that recruitment went through the roof in the military. And the same thing happened as people watched these firefighters. As a generation grew up and said, I want to be one of those guys. Just last night, I was speaking with Chief of the FDNY, who at the morning of 9-11 was the first senior chief on scene. At the time, he was deputy chief Pete Hayden. And he said to me in the fallout of 9-11, there were concerns about whether or not recruitment at the FDNY would take a hit. And he said, and he was right, that the sacrifices made by those men that day will inspire people to want to be members of the FDNY.

4:10And that's proven. It's a very difficult competitive job to get on, because of not only the sacrifices made that day, but the inspiration that was fostered by those men. We've also been talking at this morning about the national effort from firefighters, who came from all over the country, sub-fire trucks from all over the nation's firefighters, representing their states and their cities. You came down with a group of firefighters from Boston a couple of days after the attacks just to see what you could do to help. Can you share what you saw when you got down here? What do you remember about being? Well, the attacks of September 11th for firefighters, it was almost like a clarion call, like being called to duty. There was a calling to serve here for many of us. And they travel really from all over the world, really. And getting down here and I remember coming in by train, and we linked up with a firefighter from the West Side, from Hell's Kitchen, to took us down here.

5:12And we joined the efforts on the pile. But to see the destruction that was here at Ground Zero was seared into my memory, the level of destruction. It was something that I would tell you, like Hollywood could not create that set. It wouldn't be believable. What I think the story is much as we lost a lot of people, and as much as the pain that was inflicted upon our country is something that we should never forget. The real story of 9-11 was how not only we responded from the very minute those planes hit, but how the country responded. And so many people lived that day. That rescue effort was the greatest rescue effort. And the history of the world, thousands of lives were saved. So for all the sacrifice and all the loss that we endured that day, there were birthdays, there were weddings, there were celebrations that people got to participate in in life, contributions to society that

6:14were made in the wake of 9-11 by people that were rescued out of those buildings. That, you know, this is as much a story about an incredible rescue effort as it is about the sacrifice of that day. Absolutely. Let's talk about what's happened since 9-11 to firefighters as well known by now. It's several years ago the number who died from the toxic air they breathed down here while performing those acts of heroism. See the number of who died on the day, the 343. What's the work you've been doing? What's the work your organization has been doing to get the healthcare that these men and women need? I believe we're up to 453. Firefighters have died from exposures on ground zero. So we fought in Congress with a collection of people that stood up, John Stewart deserves great things, so bringing attention to it. We fought in Congress to ensure that the World Trade Center Health Fund was properly funded, that those people that were had health impacts from their service on ground zero had access to the medical

7:19resources they need. And it's been a long tough fight. In just this week, we found out that the New York City administration over the course of years has hit tens of thousands of documents from the public that proved how toxic the environment was here at ground zero. And when we think about how much of a fight it was to get access to the medical resources that our members deserve, having access to those records would have made a huge difference. So I think that there's a reckoning should be coming for that and the people that hid that from the public. Yeah, 170,000 documents made public by the administration. Ed, a guy you know well from Boston, Mike Barnacle has a question for you, Mike. Michael, how you doing? I'm doing well, Eddie. I'm doing well, and so are you. But I want to talk to you today on this day when something unforgivable happened 25 years ago. And the memories of that day that are residing are still resilient in the minds of many of

8:23firefighters who helped make the day as memorable as it was. Sadly, many of them died, 343 died. But I want to ask you about the core of being a firefighter. There's an old expression that when the cops come down the street, someone's in trouble, when a fire department comes down the street, help is on the way. What is it about the core of being a firefighter? That it's just as is the air installed in a firefighter with the New York Fire Department as it is with someone from the Waltham Massachusetts Fire Department. What is it about that that makes firefighters different? Well, I think the cornerstone of being a firefighter is your willingness to sacrifice, which is what the 300 and 43FD and Y members and Keith Rommel who is also an IFF member who worked for the New York City Fire Patrol, they taught us what the definition of sacrifice is. And that's the cornerstone of putting

9:23others before self. And I think that inspiration, that motivation is what keeps people raising their right hands and taking an old to be a firefighter. General President of the International Association of Firefighters, Ed Kelly, thank you for all your services and firefighters to all your members. Not just for what they do in days like this, but for what they do every single day. Thank you very thank you. We really appreciate it. Well, bless America. Less than an hour from now and observance ceremony will take place at the Pentagon, where 184 people died in September 11th. Let's go there alive to MS now. Pentagon reporter Kriya Shreether, Kriya good morning. Good morning, Willie, that's right. This remembrance and honor ceremonies expected to get underway. Within the next hour, we have already seen moments of remembrance earlier this morning with an American flag being unfurled on the west side of the Pentagon, just as what we saw take place that day 25 years ago.

10:23And we are expecting President Trump to be in attendance here at the Pentagon, just as he did last year. And we are also expecting to have an observation of a moment of silence at 9.37 AM, which of course is the time when American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the west side of the building. Of course, 184 people died here at the Pentagon that day, 59 people who were on that aircraft and an additional 125 inside of the building. We're expecting some top senior military leaders to be in attendance here today and also family members of some of those 125 people who died in the Pentagon. We know based off of President Trump's remarks from last year that he sort of emphasized these themes of national resilience and unity and a commitment to never forget this day. He also highlighted many stories of heroism, just like you mentioned from Ground Zero, including

11:25the story of an army sergeant first class who saved a Navy lieutenant inside of the building that day, the only person to have survived from the Navy command center. So we can expect to hear more stories like that. It is notable that the president decided to come here to the Pentagon and not to Ground Zero, which of course is where most sitting presidents go. And we saw reporting from the New York Times that indicated that part of the reason he wanted to come here to the Pentagon is because he wanted to deliver remarks himself, which of course is not allowed at Ground Zero. So we'll be watching very closely to see what he says today, but it's expected to be a very solemn ceremony, will he? Yeah, Vice President JD Vance will be here at Ground Zero along with four living former presidents, President Trump there at the Pentagon. Pentagon reporter Priya Shreether, Priya, thanks so much. We appreciate it. Still ahead this morning, we'll be joined by Lawrence Wright. He is the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book The Looming Tower about Al Qaeda and

12:26the events that led up to 9-11 with an update now 25 years after that dark day. When he goes coming right back. Hey everybody, it's Rachel Maddo here. I wanted to tell you that more than a dozen of us from MSNOW are going to be in Texas on Saturday, September 26th. I'm going to be there. Lauren Sodonna will be there. So we'll Jen Socky. A whole bunch of us are all going to be there in Texas. Tickets started just over 30 bucks each and if you buy a ticket, you will get access to our new MSNOW membership free for a year. Tickets for Texas are on sale now. You can learn more at MS.NOW slash together. Hope to see you in Texas.

13:49I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you and the people. And the people who knock these bailings down will hear all of us soon. That iconic moment from President George W. Bush standing on the pile with New York City firefighters three days after September 11th and these are live images from here at Ground Zero. At 815 in the morning 25 years after the attacks of September 11th, 2001, just a few minutes away from the beginning of what has become an annual ritual ceremony, the reading of the names among the dignitaries here today. Vice President J.D. Vance for former presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden will be here also for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg and current mayor Mamdani among those who will just speak today. Let's bring in here at our set at Ground Zero. MSNOW Senior National Security Reporter David Road David a lot to talk to you

14:54about here. Your story has traced this tragedy in so many ways. Can you talk about being down here and by down here I mean very close down here on that day. Yes so I was right over there on Broadway and jumped on a subway to come cover it. I was a metro reporter for the New York Times and then got out and the South Tower fell right in front of me in like millions of people or thousands I should say ran for my life the second tower fell and I just want to talk about I want to talk more about not the recovery of for that day but what happened in the decade after that and I thought about this and I live here now. My wife and I have chosen to live in this area you know since 9-11 we live right down the street one of my children goes to school and you're here and the simple lesson to me or I would say love serve and fight and that has to do with a few people I want to talk about our story about a couple of them today. One is love and I've spent a lot of day in the last few days talking to widows and others about use the moment you never know when you're going to lose your loved one and I think that's an incredibly important basic reason and then

15:57it's the people who sacrificed after that. There was a New York Times photographer named Eddie Keating who took who spent months here covering the cleanup. I worked with him we took a picture together in a friends apartment here of a T-set and it became one of the iconic images of 9-11. He died of brain cancer several years ago. He got that from the dust here and then this morning I wrote about a Marine I met more than a decade ago in Afghanistan. His name is Daniel Sochi. He was a student at Villanova University volunteered to join the Marines and went and fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and then the third person I wrote about this morning was Ed Bogeon. He was a CIA officer. He volunteered. He hunted down members of Al-Qaeda. He believed it was right to fight back. The Marine served and Bogeon fought and he was part of the effort and part of the group of CIA officers who found the song been loud and that enabled the raid to kill them. We've been talking so much this morning about that love and service and the reaction we're just talking to Ed Kelly about how a lot of people fought when the world watched what it watched here people would say I don't want that. I don't want to be a firefighter and exactly the opposite happened. People said I

17:00want to be one of those guys when I grew up. Same goes. We had President Bush talking last night in Dallas about how he was shocked by the recruitment numbers in the military. People said I want to go avenge that. That's what you're writing about a bit this morning. Yes and that's exactly what Daniel Sochi did. He was in his dorm room and he watched the second tower hit. He and his roommate volunteered together. Two million service members volunteered and somehow served in the various wars after 9-11. Seven thousand died. 35,000 were wounded. So recruitment numbers went up and it's interesting. Ed Bogeon who's a say-you-guy, he really he's fight and he you know he felt that it made a difference. Al-Qaeda still exists but it's much weaker and the positive thing too and all all these people told me this was that there hasn't been a major terrorist attack in the United States in 25 years. That was a tremendous achievement. There's a sense of oh everything failed and you know Afghanistan yes the Taliban came back in but again Daniel Sochi this Marine who served there he said it's a great thing and these young men who like did this service shouldn't feel like

18:01a failure because the Taliban are back Al-Qaeda has been weakened Ed Bogeon the CIA operative said all the top leadership you know of Al-Qaeda was wiped out including bin Laden and that prevented another attack because they all had the experience and they can't use that experience now. To your credit you've never enjoyed making any of this story about you but your life was seriously impacted by what happened here on that day for people don't know it I don't want to make you relive it if you don't want to you were taken captive and held for a long time you escaped from the from the Taliban. What are your thoughts about where this day has taken your life over these last 25 years? Thank you and it's fine to bring up it's part of my life and my wife and my family was incredibly supportive to me and again I would say love served fight. I covered Afghanistan for seven years after meeting her on 9-11 I was kidnapped at the end of it by a Taliban commander invited me to an interview and it was seven months in captivity and love was first like regretting you know this decision to go to the interview there were two Afghans with me a journalist and a

19:02driver they were kidnapped as well I was terrified of what was going to happen to them. I'm served I kind of played my time and stayed alive because that was the best way to help the Afghans and then fight in that this Afghan journalist helped me escape we were brought to a house near a Pakistani military base and while our guards slept we used a car tow rope to lower ourselves off of the roof we were held in the house we were held in and I'm here today because of the bravery of that Afghan journalist. Love to serve fight a great message for today we're lucky to have you on our team David thank you thank you thank you look MSNH senior national security board David wrote David thank you Joe. Hey what's being around the South writer for the New Yorker and pulling surprise winning author Lawrence Wright his book titled the looming tower al-Qaeda in the road to 9-11 came out 20 years ago and it said to be the definitive book about al-Qaeda and what led to the attacks because it is the definitive book about al-Qaeda or some have been lied and and what led to the attacks a book

20:02has a new introduction written for the 25th anniversary of that day examining the after effects and the continued turmoil in the Middle East Lawrence thanks for being here it is it is unlike any book I on on al-Qaeda or the past 25 years that I've ever read it's nothing short of a masterpiece tell us what what your insights are 25 years later about what happened what you wrote about what you learned and what you've learned over the past quarter century well you know things keep coming up Joe it's it's not it's I call it in this new forward an unsolved crime because there are events that happened that work crimes for instance the CIA hid the fact that the there were two al-Qaeda future hijackers living in San Diego 19 months before 9-11 and they refused to turn that information over to the FBI so in my opinion it we missed a chance to stop 9-11 because of that

21:11one of the things that troubles me is that in many ways we are as complacent now as we were on 9-10 you know if you look at as you know what what America has become since 9-11 we've we've shed our alliances we've depleted our arsenal we're in a very vulnerable state and and I look at the technological changes that have taken place since 9-11 with drones and artificial intelligence and you know these are great tools for terrorists and I just wonder what bin Laden would have done with them had he had access to them but a future bin Laden will have superpowers because of all these technological changes just as the al-Qaeda used our technology in those airplanes to strike us the technology that we're creating now will be in the hands of terrorists and we'll reap the consequences as as we look back on 9-11

22:16often when we talk about whether it was avoidable or not you know we will hear about a memo that got across a president's desk saying that al-Qaeda plan to use airplanes to strike American targets um obviously the president has a lot of memos going across his desk and a lot of threat assessments every single day I remember one time Mike being told by what if by Bob Mueller if you saw what I saw every day you wouldn't get out of bed uh the a lot of threats to track down um that being said based on all the information you had you just told us about the CIA covering up the fact that two CIA up two two al-Qaeda groups from San Diego for over a year give us your best argument that 9-11 was avoidable what what should America have done what

23:17were the warning signs that we missed the then that we want to be more alert for moving forward well look back in history Joe it was led to 9-11 the events that happened beforehand in 1998 for instance al-Qaeda bombed two American embassies in east Africa killing 224 people more than 100 people were blinded by the flying glass and uh you know we in retaliation we we bombed a veterinary medicine clinic in the Sudan and training camps in Afghanistan and then uh in october of 2000 uh the USS Cole which for some crazy reason was parked in the harbor of odd and Yemen uh a very delectable prize for uh for bin Laden uh and uh it was bombed by uh suicide bombers uh 17 American sailors who died the uh CIA had information about the people that

24:23bombed that and they didn't turn it over to the FBI then either so uh it's another one of what I call crimes i mean this was if in the simple terms a murder a homicide investigation and uh and there was evidence it wasn't provided uh i think in 25 years later it's high time that we held accountable the people that held on to that information. Lauren sir book of course the definitive account of al-Qaeda before September 11th could you give us a test of where things stand with the terror group now obviously if so i'm bin Laden himself dead now uh 15 years uh talk to us about al-Qaeda since that day and where things stand what sort of threat do they still potentially post? you know al-Qaeda is far weaker than it was i mean even though it's far more popular so i mean al-Qaeda on 9-11 has about 400 people and some estimates say that there may be 40,000 people in

25:27al-Qaeda now i don't know how to evaluate that but there are more people involved in it but they're disjointed there in separate provinces they're they're not unified in an effort to strike the west there's a longing for that but uh they haven't been able to do it the Islamic state on the other hand is is far larger and more potent organization than al-Qaeda but what worries me is not the number of people in the terrorist groups what worries me now is the tools that they will have access to such as drones artificial intelligence crypto i mean all of these are wonderful tools and wonderful tools for terrorist intolerance as well and so you know the technology that was used against us on 9-11 those aircraft carriers i mean excuse those aircraft that they crashed into into the world trade center and the Pentagon and and and would have taken out the the

26:29legislature they were turned against us now there are new tools and and i think we'd be fooling ourselves if we don't realize that we are manufacturing tools that have been lawden would love to have had on 9-11 the Pulitzer Prize winning book the looming tower al-Qaeda and the road to 9-11 is available to read now with a new introduction author and staff writer for the New Yorker Lawrence right Lawrence thank you so much up next here on morning joe how a small town in canada provided a safe haven for thousands of americans on september 11th when the country's air space was shut down ms now's josh inagr joins with that story that's next here on morning joe ever since i was young i've watched people working hard chasing opportunity making sacrifices

27:31doing everything that can to build a better life and now we're shining a light on what matters most our economy our national identity our democracy our future the stakes have never been higher it's all on the line on the line with elbisia manendez weekdays at 12 p.m. eastern on ms now you welcome back to ground zero here in new york city on this 25th anniversary of the attacks of september 11th when north american airspace was completely shut down in september 11th 38 planes were diverted to the tiny canadian town of gander seven thousand strangers suddenly found themselves stranded there nearly doubling the town's population in just a matter of hours but the people of gander responded to the crisis in real time opening their homes feeding and clothing

28:32thousands of those visitors for five days and asking nothing in return that story became the subject of a broadway musical joining us now ms now senior reporter josh inagr josh good morning twenty five more later you would turn to gander would you find it was it was quite an experience to return there will you know when when chaos rained down on lower manhat in twenty five years ago it was also pretty chaotic in gander it's eleven hundred miles away from new york suddenly all those people showed up nearly doubling the population in about an hour but these community the people who live there and the people who visited had to find a way through it and they ended up forging deep friendships that are now being tested in a way that they haven't seen in all this time our first bus came after midnight four plane loads wound up at gander academies the local elementary school where dianne davis was a third grade teacher more than seven hundred people would sleep on the gym floor and so it was just water wall people walled wall people

29:35these were our deluxe suites had television set up and passengers would come in and they hadn't seen it so when a flight would come in they would gather and they would watch it and every time the plane struck it was like seeing it again for the first time and our darkest moments which it was for us kindness was everything been a six they never stopped for five days five days of waiting and then that suddenly as it began it was over the mood on the plane was joy that we were finally coming home but then the plane went silent over in your garrick space they did it went silent and it was really hard to look at the window it's been a quarter century since those unprecedented days after 9 11 the planes are gone the thousands of visitors have gone on to live their lives

30:41and here in gander things are basically back to normal that means maybe four flights a day in the high season but the people who were here then it still feels like yesterday a distant memory that is so important to keep alive 25 years later newfoundlanders are celebrating their role in those horrific dates the story memorialized in the Broadway musical come from away now playing in gander itself the show draws inspiration from people like Diane Davis and a key central character captain Beverly Bass recently an americans Texas headquarters the real Beverly saw for the first time the airlines memorial to its two flight crews who died on 9 11 kind of the shells March talk about sorry she lost 17 co-workers including a pilot she knew well

31:42well just bring us that all back there's still so much more emotion you know really we spoke to four different people we spoke to two of the plane people we spoke to two people in gander and each one of them broke down at some point as we were talking about this so many years later and all of this now being tested by this trade war that's going on and all the rhetoric from the Trump administration towards Canadians every single person we talked to in Canada said that they were deeply deeply offended based on what they had been through 25 years ago on behalf of americans we talk about our friends and our neighbors to the north there it is yeah those are our friends in our neighbors to the north talking about the spirit of 9 11 today who was alive in gander was for sure it was there's much more of this report it's a really beautiful story you can watch Josh's full report on ms now's youtube channel there's a QR code on the screen there if you want to watch it right now ms now reported Josh eiger Josh thanks so much and Joe on that topic of where we are right now in our relationship with Canada it's

32:46worth reminding many of our friends who may be watching the show and kind of parroting some of what they're hearing from the top that 40,000 Canadians fought with the united states in the war on terror 40,000 158 of them died in combat for something that happened to the united states not to them but that happened right here 25 years ago yeah they've been extraordinary friends they've been extraordinary neighbors and the united states our success our rise has been in large part because we've had such great friends and great neighbors to the north and one of the longest borders uninterrupted borders that we've never had to militarize because there are friends they've been our friends they will continue to be our friends regardless of the nonsense that's coming out of the white house right now and you this is this is a day a good day to stop and reflect on how much we owe Canada how

33:51much we owe our Canadian allies how much we owe the people of that great country and and that just that story just underlines it they've they've always been there for us they were there after 9-11 and they will be there in the future whether we're our current administrations treating the country horribly or not and it is shameful it is shameful how our allies to the north have been treated by this administration and we've historically had such great tre-free trade with Canada in Mexico and Canada has just they fought alongside us they've given us information security information they've been incredible partners and the hope I think is that Trump comes to one of the senses when it comes to North America let us hope we'll be right back with more morning we are back here at ground zero in New York City on this 25th anniversary of the attacks of

35:05September 11th 2001 a program is underway at the 9-11 Museum and memorial short time from now we observe a moment of silence for the moment that American Airlines flight 11 hit the north tower of the world trade center at this time 25 years ago a building full of people had no idea it was about to begin a country had no idea what was going to begin more than 2700 people killed here at ground zero nearly 3,000 in total pentagon and shanksville pennsylvania we have former presidents of the United States four of them gather here today the vice president of the United States JD vans mayors as well the reading of the names and annual ritual will begin shortly but for now we pause for the first moment of silence at 846 am

36:54my to

38:24Those bagpipes from the FBNY have become part of the haunting annual soundtrack for these commemorations 25 years on. That was the moment of silence at 846. These times now have become part of our collective national memory 903. We'll be the next one when the second plane hits the South Tower at 846. Flight 11 crashed into those high floors at one world trade. 76 passengers, 11 crew members on board, hundreds more inside, killed instantly, also cutting off access to the ground from anyone above the 91st floor. Joe, I saw that image of President George W. Bush who is down here today and thinking it was just two minutes from right now, as he said in that second grade classroom reading to kids. In Sarasota, Florida, that Andy Cardlein then just right about now and said, Mr. President, America is under attack.

39:25I know. A moment, he'll never forget. A moment, Americans will never forget. And this is always such an extraordinarily moving time for this country. And we want to bring in Stephanie Rool. And I want to talk to you, because right now I guarantee you people that are moved in the financial district by this are also looking at the inflation numbers, which we're going to get to in a minute. But they never, it never sleeps. The finance community never sleeps. This is a community that you have been close to your entire adult life. You've worked there, you've reported on it. Tell me you've written about it for MS now. Right now, tell me how you're feeling. Joe, it was right at these moments, right? I was a very junior salesperson at Credit Suisse at the time.

40:25And on a trading desk, we have regular phones and then they have turrets. And a turret is a direct line between a trading desk and these brokers, brokers, many of whom Eurobrokers, Canterfitt Sterled, that were down at the World Trade Center. And people's cell phones weren't working. And so they couldn't make outside calls to call their wives. And so as a really junior person, and as we're watching, the first plane hit, and everyone's confused. And these guys suddenly are making calls like, I don't know what's happening. Then the calls turned. Because they're calling these traders at banks because they can only call these direct lines and they're saying, call my wife, call my mom, call my son at school. And it was these moments of like, weren't confused about what's happening. And then absolute devastation. And for me personally, I can remember that day because I had just been engaged two weeks before. And I remember running home. I worked on 23rd Street in my husband, worked down in the financial district. And we got out of the subway with Sean Patrick Maloney, who was the colleague then who then ran for Congress after this. And they ran up the FDR. I remember getting to my apartment and knowing I was never going to move out of New York

41:30City. If I worked here and had children because of all those people who were on one side of the river and their families were on the other. And it wasn't just the people who lost their lives. But if you remember how disconnected we were, but how it brought New York City together. And so as devastating as this is, just watching Mike Bloomberg right there, even knowing that Rudy Giuliani's there watching our city come together those days when so many people were going to hospitals trying to ask an emergency rooms for the names of their colleagues and co-workers and friends. It was just this horrible moment, but a tremendous moment for New York and America that we have to honor forever. So tell me Stephanie, who are you thinking about today? I'm going to accept Timber 11th. Is there anybody that comes to mind? I'm actually thinking of my friend Jennifer James, who was in the first tower who made her way down and is alive today. And I'm thinking of Jen and all those other people who the grief they've experienced

42:31over the last 25 years for all their co-workers that they lost, but for how blessed they feel to be alive. And I'm also just thinking about the workers not just in those days, but in the year following. Last night I interviewed the head of the Fresh Kills landfill, who that is where everything was sent, the millions of tons of debris. All of those men for a year who went through that debris to find body parts and work ideas and anything they could, so many of whom have lost their lives since, I'm thinking of them because they're the next level 9-11 victims we need to honor. All right. Inflation by the way, 3.4% in August. Not good. Not good for people who want interest rates lowered. If you think we're going to get an interest rate cut next week, we are not. Is it going to be raised? We don't know. All right. Well, thank you so much for coming and for your reflections. We'll be right back.

43:35Back here at Ground Zero in New York City. The reading of the names continues ahead of the next moment of silence at 903, which will be the moment the second plane hit the World Trade Center. At Joe, I just have to say being down here, yes, it was a quarter of a century ago, which is a long time, but the power of this place remains when you're here. It is fresh. It is in front of you and part of that is owed to the extraordinary 9-11 Memorial Museum, which keeps the memory alive of the victims, but also all the heroes of this day. No doubt about it. Mike, what are your thoughts today? My thoughts right now are about all the phone calls that were placed by people who never made it out of the buildings or never made it off of the airplanes that were flying in the sky. All the last phone calls to their children, to their wives that ended with the phrase, I love you, John. I'm thinking of those who sacrifice so much, who sacrifice everything that day, including Ladder 118, which is based in Wolfenheitz, FDNY, is a photograph.

44:38It was later immortalized in the front page of New York Daily News. You can see the World Trade Center burning in the background. Ladder 118, going over the bridge into the fire to help all six men on that truck die. I'm thinking about my friend who lived across from the towers who died of pancreatic cancer and all the people who got sick since and who have sacrificed him. Four people lost after 9.15. I can't relate to Jesus. That should guide that. Yeah, so I'm thinking about those people. Well, this is, I can just say 25 years later, it's hard to believe that time is moved just quickly as it is moved. I can tell you for those that weren't born or that were too young to remember, we have responsibility to tell them about 9.11 and talk about the days that followed. I can tell you, I'd never been more proud to be an American than I was then. I've never been more proud of the country coming together than I was then.

45:41It's looking back as always, a reminder of who we once were and as James Earl Jones said in filled of dreams who we can be again. Stephanie Rule picks up the coverage right now. For me, being a part of this place has always been about the people, not about the politics. From the field to the studio, Jacob is finding the heart of the story, connect with Jacob Soberov. We can set 10 a.m. Eastern on MS now.