[by:www.21voa.com] [00:00.00]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ21VOA.COM [00:00.20]The United States is marking the 14th anniversary [00:04.15]of the September 11th terrorist attacks. [00:08.12]U.S. officials and many other Americans [00:11.56]attended observances Friday [00:13.96]to remember those killed and their loved ones. [00:18.16]Nearly 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001 [00:24.24]when hijackers used four passenger airplanes [00:28.60]to carry out suicide attacks in the United States. [00:33.44]In addition to the victims, [00:35.32]the 19 hijackers also were killed. [00:39.52]Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and his group [00:43.12]claimed responsibility for the attacks. [00:47.00]U.S. forces killed him in a surprise raid [00:50.64]on his hiding place in Pakistan four years ago. [00:55.96]Friday morning, President Barack Obama, [00:59.20]his wife and White House workers [01:02.36]observed a public moment of silence in Washington. [01:06.76]They gathered on the White House grounds at 8:46. [01:11.12]That was the exact time when a hijacked airplane struck the World Trade Center. [01:17.72]In New York, families of the victims gathered for a ringing of bells [01:23.40]and reading of the names of those killed in the terrorist attacks. [01:29.44]Moments of silence were held at 8:46 and 9:03 in the morning, [01:35.72]when a second hijacked plane also hit the World Trade Center. [01:41.32]Near Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and other officials [01:47.24]attended an observance at the Pentagon, [01:50.44]the home of the Defense Department. [01:53.64]They joined in remembering those killed [01:56.32]when a hijacked airplane hit the Pentagon, killing 184 people. [02:03.12]Earlier Friday, a large American flag was hung down the side of the Pentagon, [02:09.00]where the passenger jet hit. [02:11.60]There also was a moment of silence at 10:03 a.m. [02:17.04]That was the time when a fourth hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania. [02:24.24]All 44 people on the plane were killed. [02:28.04]Many Americans believe the hijackers [02:30.92]had planned to attack a target in the nation's capital. [02:36.04]The fourth plane came down in a field in the rural community of Shanksville. [02:41.56]Today, a new visitors center there [02:45.04]tells the story of the 9/11 attacks. [02:49.48]The Flight 93 National Memorial [02:52.40]was set up to recognize the passengers and crewmembers [02:56.36]who attacked the hijackers. [02:59.24]Stephen Clark is with the U.S. National Park Service. [03:03.44]It operates the visitors center and surrounding grounds. [03:07.68]"It just amazes me that this aircraft was [03:11.24]but 18 minutes away from hitting Washington, D.C." [03:15.04]The field was quiet on Friday, [03:17.80]very different from the situation 14 years ago. [03:22.44]Gordon Felt's brother Edward was one of the passengers [03:26.74]on United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. [03:33.88]"It is surreal at times. [03:36.28]Early on, it became very evident to us very quickly [03:40.00]that our loved ones, the events surrounding their deaths, [03:44.67]had historical significance to our country." [03:48.60]The last 35 minutes of Edward Felt's life, [03:52.28]and others on the plane, [03:54.60]are explained at the new visitors center. [03:58.40]Relatives hope visitors to the memorial [04:01.24]will understand the full effect of the actions of their loved ones. [04:05.56]"They'll get a sense of who those 40 heroes were, [04:09.32]as well as what their collective actions did to help [04:12.96]save the Capitol building that morning." [04:15.60]I'm George Grow.