WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) today issued the following statement in remembrance of the lives we lost on September 11, 2001 and September 11, 2012:
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 14 years since our nation was forever changed by the vicious murder of almost 3,000 innocent Americans by terrorists seeking to alter the fabric of our democracy. Our ideals and way of life were challenged, but American resiliency cannot be deterred by hatred. In that unspeakable day of horror, we saw the best in humanity. Heroes, who rescued us, took to the battlefield for us, and brought justice to the villains who perpetrated this attack.
“From unspeakable evil, we have seen a new greatest generation of heroes emerge. Men and women who joined our all-volunteer military to bring the fight to those who sought to destroy us. Many of those heroes have deployed four and five times into war zones in defense of our liberty. We are humbled and grateful for their sacrifice and that of their families praying for their safe return.
“Tragically, eleven years later on September 11, 2012 in Benghazi, American ideals were again tested when four Americans – Ambassador Chris Stevens, information officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty – were killed in service to our country. We are still working to get answers to how this happened and what went wrong, but these heroes are always in our hearts.
“On September 11th each year, we take a moment to remember our brothers and sisters who were lost on that fateful day and in the years since. We honor the heroes who rushed into burning buildings to save strangers. We thank the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to keep us safe. May God bless the Americans we lost, the servicemen and women who protect us and may God bless America!”