The following is a Proclamation by U.S. President Barack Obama: On September 11, 2001, a bright autumn day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. Thousands of innocent men, women, and children perished when mighty towers collapsed in the heart of New York City and wreckage burned in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon.

They were family and friends, service members and first responders -- and the tragedy of their loss left pain that will never fade and scars our country will never forget. More than a decade later, the world we live in is forever changed. But as we mark the anniversary of September 11, we remember what remains the same: our character as a Nation, our faith in one another, and our legacy...