Ground Zero ceremony adds first silence for post-9/11 illness victims
The annual Ground Zero remembrance introduced a new moment of silence to honor those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses, alongside the traditional tributes.
The yearly Ground Zero ceremony read aloud the names of the 2,977 individuals killed on September 11, 2001, as well as the six victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and observed six pauses for the moments the towers and Pentagon were struck, the towers' collapse, and Flight 93's crash. A new, seventh moment of silence was introduced to honor the more than 9,400 people who have died from illnesses related to the attacks, a figure that triples the death toll of the day itself.
The change reflects long-standing efforts by advocates for legal protections for those suffering chronic conditions caused by the disaster. Attendees included the daughter of FDNY Lt. John P. Napolitano Jr., who remembered her father and her grandfather, retired NYPD Officer John Napolitano Sr., who died in 2024 from a 9/11-related illness. The ceremony highlighted both the original heroism of first responders and the ongoing health toll on survivors and their families.
Why it matters
It acknowledges the growing health impact of 9/11 and gives public recognition to thousands of victims beyond the original attack.
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