At 9:03 a.m. and 9:59 a.m., two daughters whose fathers were lost in the attacks each performed readings to mark the moments when the second plane hit and when the first tower fell, respectively.
And at 10:29 a.m., the moment the second tower collapsed, fire engines blared their horns as bells were rung at Ground Zero and across the city.
The name-reading concluded as the two final readers said in unison, “May God bless the victims—may God bless America.”
From every corner of Ground Zero, applause filled the air.
Uniformed officers then stood at attention as a lone bugler, standing on a jagged edge of the pit, played Taps on his horn.
The ceremony closed with a reading of the Declaration of Independence by New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey (D) and a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner played by the string quartet.
The crowd then applauded while the family members began to slowly and quietly file out of Ground Zero.
Eternal Flame
Ceremonies to commemorate the Sept. 11 anniversary took place throughout the city Wednesday.
Mid-afternoon, a gospel choir assembled on the steps of St. Vincent’s Hospital to sing inspirational songs like “This Little Light of Mine” against the backdrop of a wall full of pictures, names and messages.
The evening was marked by candlelighting vigils held throughout the city, including one in Central Park that featured musical appearances by Merryl Streep, Billy Joel and Wynton Marsallis.
But around 7:30 p.m., all of those ceremonies paused to watch on giant TV screens as Bloomberg was joined by numerous dignitaries, including Secretary of State Powell, in a ceremony to light an eternal flame at the Sphere Memorial in Battery Park.
The memorial consists of a sphere that formerly stood at the fountain in the center of the World Trade Center Plaza.
Though cracked and bent, the sphere is still intact and one of the few physical remnants of the World Trade Center.
The official Sept. 11 anniversary ceremonies came to a close shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday night with President Bush’s address to the nation from Ellis Island.
As the wind continued to gust through the streets of New York, those who gathered throughout the city to commemorate the anniversary returned to their homes.
A red, white and blue Empire State Building, now the tallest building in Manhattan, stood watch over the skyline.
—Staff writer Kate L. Rakoczy can be reached at rakoczy@fas.harvard.edu.