Pres. Obama Remembers 9/11 In Fort Meade Town Hall

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives 14 years ago on this day. America comes together to honor those who died on September 11.

It's a day the president says "left a permanent mark on the spirit of every American."

Meghan McCorkell has more as a nation remembers.

Across the country and right here in Maryland, remembrance ceremonies are being held to mark the 14th anniversary of 9/11.

"If I were to have any wish in the world, it would be to meet my dad," said one Ground Zero memorial visitor, Mary Campbell.

"Within this community we will never forget," said U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, in a speech at the Pentagon. "We will always remember."

And in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a new Visitors Center just opened up: "Flight 93 was the end of their lives, it wasn't their defining moment in their lives," said one visitor. "They were fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters."

Across the entire nation, Americans remember the tragic day 14 years ago.

After starting the day with a moment of silence, the president held a town hall with troops at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County.

"It's also a good time to remember all the people who have served and sacrificed since 9/11 in order to keep America safe and free," said President Obama.

At the Inner Harbor, flowers honor the Marylanders who lost their lives on 9/11.

Sixty-three people from Maryland died in the terror attacks.

"I have some friends that lost loved ones in the towers," said Campbell. "Being able to come here I guess is the next best thing to going to New York."

Some say it's a place they come to reflect.

Jerry Campbell, another memorial visitor, said: "This is a day that brought us together and now our country seems to be spreading apart. It's just a day to remember this is a day that made us one nation, one people."

Together, we remember a moment that changed the nation forever.

On Friday, the president shared some of his personal memories of 9/11, and said it was a day that inspired all of us to remember just how precious what we have is and the need to defend it at any cost.

The Flight 93 Memorial Center in Pennsylvania opened its doors on Thursday. Family members of the people who died on the plane got a preview of the center the day before.