JOHN,

21 years ago on a clear, beautiful September morning, Al-Qaeda sought to bring us to our knees. Instead, in the face of the unimaginable terror and pain, we summoned an unyielding sense of unity and purpose. We mourned those we lost and made a solemn promise to avenge them and not lose what makes us who we are as Americans. It is a promise we kept, look no further than to the recent death of Ayman al-Zawahiri.

And while it may feel as if the years and the vitriol of our politics have torn at our collective unity, that unity can never be lost. It is a spirit I saw in my fellow soldiers in Afghanistan; the same fortitude that rises up in our neighborhoods in the aftermath of tragedies, both big and small. And it’s the same spirit that lived within the fallen uniformed officers who ran into the terror that day to save others. We must always be there for one another. More than anything else, that is what makes us Americans.

So as we remember those we lost twenty-one years ago, 2,977 patriots and heroes, let's once more renew that promise we made to our nation and remain committed to preserving everything that makes America the greatest country the world has ever known.

Thank you,

Max Rose