Rep. Ted Budd Speaks at 9/11 Memorial Service in Thomasville

Press Release

Today, Rep. Ted Budd honored and paid tribute to the lives of those we lost 20 years ago today in the September 11th terrorist attacks with a keynote speech at a memorial service in Thomasville.

The full text of Rep. Budd's remarks:

I remember after September 11th, 2001, we saw a lot of signs and bumper stickers that read "Never Forget." Now of course the unity that we saw in the weeks and months after the attacks eventually faded, but those two words, "Never Forget," stuck in our country's consciousness.

So after 20 years, it is important to revisit what we really mean when we say Never Forget. Of course we will never forget the fear that gripped our hearts, the horror that shook us to our core, the sorrow that filled our souls.

But we must also hold in our memories the New York City firefighters who stormed into burning buildings to save people they had never met. And then, even after it was clear that the towers would fall, hundreds of firefighters and police officers stayed in the buildings to direct innocent people to the exits.

One of the most well-known stories from the World Trade Center was an equities trader and volunteer firefighter on the 104th floor named Welles Crowther. He actually wanted to give up his high paying job and become a firefighter full time. On 9/11 he donned a red bandana and led dozens of people from the sky lobby to the ground floor. He made three trips up and down the South Tower. Many survivors remembered Welles as, "The Man in the Red Bandana." He was 24 years old. The fact that a man that young possessed a wisdom and bravery that great is the definition of heroism. It's what our country is all about.

I also remember the airline passengers who decided to say 'let's roll' and sacrifice their lives in order to spare our Capital City. When I'm up in Washington, I make a point of visiting the plaque in the U.S. Capitol dedicated to the passengers and crew of Flight 93. The plaque's inscription reads: "In memory of the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, whose brave sacrifice on September 11, 2001, not only saved countless lives but may have saved the U.S. Capitol from destruction."

Many of the heroic passengers on Flight 93 are well known, but one I like to remember is Sandy Bradshaw. She was from Climax, North Carolina and attended Eastern Randolph High School. On September 11th, Sandy was serving as a flight attendant on Flight 93, a flight from Newark to San Francisco. She was originally planning on being on a flight out of Newark to Las Vegas, but swapped with another flight attendant so that she would be able to return to North Carolina for her son's birthday. Once they were hijacked and came to terms with the gravity of the situation, it was Sandy who joined in the fight to retake the plane. Along with fellow flight attendants, she boiled hot water to throw at the hijackers to disable them. The flight was approximately 20 minutes outside of Washington when they attempted to regain the cockpit. The efforts of Sandy and the other heroes aboard Flight 93 saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives in the Capitol. These men and women were nothing short of inspiring.

We must never forget that there are heroes among us. September 11, 2001 changed us forever, but it also revealed something profound about our country: That we are fundamentally strong and resilient. Every year on 9/11, I never forget those simple truths, and I hope my fellow citizens will do the same.

So again thank you for inviting me here today. May God bless the memories of those we lost 20 years ago today. May He continue to comfort the friends and loved ones left behind. And may He continue to shed his magnificent grace upon the United States of America.

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