Terrorism Fears Abound as America Remembers 9/11

Thursday marks 13 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  Around the country, many are pausing to remember those lost in the tragedy.

At New York City's ground zero, family members read the names of each victim lost more than a decade ago.

"I'm just waiting for the pain to go away," one grieving loved one said.

In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at the Pentagon in Virginia, and at the nation's capital, leaders of the House and Senate presented Congressional Gold Medals honoring the fallen heroes of 9/11.

"With these medals we honor the heroism of first responders and ordinary citizens," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

"We remember the perseverance of the loved ones they left behind and the advocacy of the 9/11 families who turned their grief into action to make our nation safer," she said.

Meanwhile, in the midst of memorials and ceremonies, another battle rages in the United States, with many sounding the alarm about the continued threat of terrorists around the globe.

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"Thirteen years after 9/11, it's still a dangerous world," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said.

"That threat remains; it is constantly there," NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said it is time to get back on the offense in the war on terrorism.

"The terrorist threat, far from receding like a tide, has been advancing and multiplying. ISIS is now attracting thousands of radicals from Europe and potentially hundreds from the United States eager to join in the slaying of non-believers," Cheney warned.

"A fair number are doubtless eager to return home to Britain, France, and elsewhere," he continued. "These are but a few of the features that make the situation today one of the most dangerous we have faced certainly in my lifetime."

Meanwhile, many changes surround the 9/11 anniversary, with one World Trade Center near completion.

"This building's success and height is a sign of the revival and resurgence of downtown Manhattan and the city and the state and the region to the events of 9/11," Pat Foye, executive director of the Port Authority, said.

In addition, the National September 11 Memorial Museum has opened and the fences have come down around the memorial plaza.

And in Shanksville, a memorial has been set up marking the spot where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.

All of these monuments represent efforts to make sure the nation never forgets.