Thousands gathered at Ground Zero to mark the 14th anniversary of September 11, 2001 while the White House held their own special tribute.
An American flag, torn and tattered after being pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center, flew on Friday.
There was the singing of the national anthem and the single ring of a bell marking the moment the first plane few into the World Trade Center 14 years ago.
And then silence.
Read: A Timeline of Tragedy - How the Events of September 11, 2001 Unfolded
Thousands gathered at Ground Zero to mark September 11, 2001, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Governor and Republican candidate Chris Christie, and former New York City Mayors Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg and current Mayor Bill de Blasio.
At the White House, President Obama and the first lady, along with 200 staffers, gathered and reflected at 8:46 a.m., when the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
14 years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we honor those we lost. We salute all who serve to keep us safe. We stand as strong as ever.
— President Obama (@POTUS) September 11, 2015
Never to be forgotten, each name of the 9/11 victims was read but behind the emotions of the memorial was a heightened state of alert.
Read: President Bush Cherishes First Responders Badge
As the tributes play out in Downtown Manhattan, there were reports that Al Qaeda is targeting some of the wealthiest people in America for assassination.
The Al Qaeda online magazine Inspire has named U.S. billionaires like Microsoft founder Bill Gates, financier Warren Buffet and Michael Bloomberg.
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