Americans across the nation paused on Monday to commemorate the tragic events of September 11, 2001, exactly 22 years after Islamist hijackers commandeered four jetliners, leading to the devastating crashes into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

While President Joe Biden was en route to Alaska to conclude a five-day trip to India and Vietnam, he took the time to address an audience of over 1,000 servicemembers, first responders, and their families at a military base in Anchorage.

From Ground Zero to small towns, Americans reflected on 9/11 with moments of silence, emotional words, and impassioned appeals to educate younger generations about the terror attacks that occurred 22 years ago.

Edward Edelman, who lost a loved one on that fateful day, expressed, "For those of us who lost people on that day, that day is still happening. Everybody else moves on. And you find a way to go forward, but that day is always happening for you." He had arrived at New York's World Trade Center to pay tribute to his slain brother-in-law, Daniel McGinley.

At Ground Zero, Vice President Kamala Harris joined other dignitaries for a solemn ceremony on the National September 11 Memorial plaza. Rather than hearing speeches from political figures, the event featured victims reading the names of those who perished, accompanied by brief personal messages.

Some of these messages contained patriotic declarations reaffirming American values and expressing gratitude to first responders and the military. Others paid tribute to the Navy SEALs who successfully eliminated al-Qaida leader and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011. Some called for peace and justice, while others acknowledged the many lives lost in the post-9/11 "War on Terror." Many shared poignant reflections on the loved ones they continue to miss to this day.