On 9-11 anniversary, Trump salutes ‘heroes’ of Flight 93

Washington: President Donald Trump paid tribute on Tuesday to the “heroes” who fought back against hijackers on September 11, 2001, vowing he would do whatever it takes to keep America safe. Under a gray sky in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Mr Trump praised the courage of the 40 men and women aboard Flight 93 who rushed the four hijackers who had seized control of the plane and diverted it towards Washington.

“The passengers and crew members came together, took a vote, and they decided to act,” Mr Trump said.

“They attacked the enemy. They fought until the very end. And they stopped the forces of terror and defeated this wicked, horrible evil plan.” He said the “brave patriots turned the tide on our nation’s enemies and joined the immortal ranks of American heroes.”

After calling their loved ones to say final farewells, many passengers aboard Flight 93 are believed to have charged the hijackers and prevented the plane from striking the US capital.

The plane crashed into a field in rural Shanksville, where a permanent memorial called the “Tower of Voices” has been erected. “This memorial is now a message to the world. America will never, ever submit to tyranny,” Mr Trump said, noting that nearly 5.5 million Americans had joined the US military since 9/11.

“As commander-in-chief, I will always do everything in my power to prevent terrorists from striking American soil,” he added, while also paying tribute to the nearly 7000 US service members who have been killed “facing down the menace of radical Islamic terrorism.”