United States Diplomatic Mission to Germany

Unveiling of September 11 Memorial Plaque in Embassy Courtyard
Berlin, September 11, 2008
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.

Today marks the seventh anniversary of the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. On that day, thousands of innocent lives were taken from us.  The victims and you, the families who lost loved ones, remain in our hearts and prayers.  We honor the courage and spirit of the mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and husbands and wives who continue to grieve for their irreplaceable loss.  The passage of time cannot erase the pain of that day.  

In the course of the last seven years, many individuals and organizations have helped the Embassy commemorate the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at annual anniversary services.  Many of those people are here with us today.  We thank you for your support and your commitment. 

We remain determined to defy the terrorists' ideology of hate. 

The innocent people who lost their lives on September 11 began that day just as you and I did. They were busy with life. They had people who cared about them, people who depended on them, people who loved the sight of their face and the sound of their voice. They were unsuspecting of danger and undeserving of their fate.

This simple stone at the Embassy of the United States of America here in Berlin is an ongoing symbol of the honor that Americans around the world hold for every person lost on that day of terror.