On 20th anniversary, Minnesota hosts ceremony honoring 9/11 victims

Firefighters hang an American flag above speakers at Saturday's ceremony marking 20 years since the 9/11 attacks. (FOX 9)

A crowd gathered at the State Capitol on Saturday for a morning filled with honor, hope, and healing, 20 years after the horrific attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 –- a day that forever changed the world as we know it.

The crowd paid tribute and honored the service of loved ones who never made it home.

"74 cops on 9/11, 343 firefighters made their final run that day. Their names shall never be forgotten," Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said. "…lest we forget their smiles, lest we forget their passion, lest we forget their dreams, lest we forget their devotion."

In all, 2,977 lives were taken on 9/11, and so many more have been sacrificed since in defense of our freedom during the War on Terror.

"They wanted to put a hole in America’s soul, well we know they did not succeed, we are still a great nation, we still stand strong, and we still shine bright as the world beacon of freedom and democracy," Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said.

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