Biden to observe upcoming 9/11 anniversary in Alaska in departure from tradition
Fill in some tBiden is the first president to memorialize 9/11 outside the White House or three attack sites.The White House revealed this week that President Biden will commemorate 9/11 in Alaska, not any of the three attack sites.ext
Biden will attend a memorial event at an Alaskan military installation on Sept. 11 to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the attacks with military personnel and their families, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Monday.
The White House said the president will visit Alaska to commemorate the somber occasion after his Sept. 10 trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, to meet with Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other leaders to discuss technological innovation and climate change to strengthen relations.
Jean-Pierre said Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will commemorate 9/11 at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City while Biden is in Alaska
he Arlington National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial will host a wreath-laying ceremony by First Lady Jill Biden.After the attacks, Biden is the only president to skip the White House or any of the three attack sites on Sept. 11.
The Associated Press reported that former President Barack Obama observed a moment of silence on the White House lawn before visiting Fort Meade in 2015. Former President George W. Bush attended a White House lawn event in 2005.
Every other 9/11 anniversary, presidents have visited New York City, northern Virginia, or Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Biden's Afghanistan retreat halted in August 2021 when a terrorist strike killed 13 American service personnel guarding the Kabul airport where the U.S. and allies were evacuating.