--- title: 9/11: Read President Obama's Speech on the 15th Anniversary description: President Barack Obama remembered the victims of the 9/11 attack 15 years ago during a Pentagon ceremony on Sunday morning canonical: https://time.com/4486785/president-obama-speech-911/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-11T15:44:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T06:46:21.708Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read President Obama's Speech on the 15th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks og:description: The U.S. has to "stay true to ourselves, stay true to what's best in us" og:url: https://time.com/4486785/president-obama-speech-911/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt13ce236cc7f0180b/6988a578f887dc32d5e975c3/obama-pentagon.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon in Washington. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read President Obama's Speech on the 15th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks twitter:description: The U.S. has to "stay true to ourselves, stay true to what's best in us" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt13ce236cc7f0180b/6988a578f887dc32d5e975c3/obama-pentagon.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read President Obama's Speech on the 15th Anniversary of 9/11 > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ba3cc5f9-5a6e-4623-9d16-c1dae34a3ff1&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Obama's 9/11 Speech [Watch (HLS stream): President Obama's 9/11 Speech](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GkN6XX42.m3u8) (1:57)  _Published 2016-09-11. President Barack Obama remembered the victims of the 9/11 attack 15 years ago during a Pentagon ceremony on Sunday morning._ by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Sep 11, 2016 3:44 PM UTC President Barack Obama remembered the victims of the 9/11 attack 15 years ago during a Pentagon ceremony on Sunday morning. by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Sep 11, 2016 3:44 PM UTC President Barack Obama remembered the victims of the 9/11 attack 15 years ago during a Pentagon ceremony on Sunday morning. Invoking Scripture and quoting from the Book of Proverbs, Obama spoke at his last 9/11 memorial service as the U.S. president, telling Americans of the importance of diversity in the country. “For we know that our diversity—our patchwork heritage—is not a weakness; it is still, and always will be, one of our greatest strengths,” he said. “This is the America that was attacked that September morning. This is the America that we must remain true to.” Read his full remarks from the Pentagon memorial service: --- > “” --- ## Transcript We remember and we will never forget the nearly 3, 000 beautiful lives taken from us so cruelly, including 184 men, women, and children here. The youngest, just three years old. And yet you, the survivors and families of 9 / 11 Your steadfast love and faithfulness has been an inspiration to me and to our entire country. Even as you've mourned, you've summoned the strength to carry on. In the names of those you've lost, you've started scholarships and volunteered in your community. Be on your best to be a good neighbor, a good friend, and good citizen. In your brief embrace you have reminded us that together there is nothing that we Americans cannot overcome. E pluribus unum. Out of many we are one For we know that our diversity, our patchwork heritage is not a weakness. It is still and always will be one of our greatest strengths. In the end, the most enduring memorial to those we lost is ensuring The America that we continue to be. And we stayed true to ourselves. And we stayed true to what's best in us. That we do not let others divide us. May God bless the memory of the loved ones here Across the country. They remain in our hearts today. May He watch over these faithful families and all who protect us. 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