25 years later, 9/11 memories endure as nation gathers to honor nearly 3,000 lives lost

Ceremonies at the 9/11 Memorial in New York, the Pentagon and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania will take place Friday as the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept.

11 terrorist attacks, when 19 al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and attacked the United States.

Officials and others with memories of that day reflected on what they witnessed and what they lost in some cases as the nation mourns anew.

Retired Maj.

Gen.

Bert Mizusawa, who served in senior Army positions at the Pentagon before 9/11, worked as a senior Pentagon official in the time leading up to 9/11 and knew several colleagues who perished that day.

On that Tuesday, Mizusawa said he was watching coverage of the attack on the Twin Towers from his office when reporters broke in to say the Pentagon had been targeted.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP’S 9/11 TRIBUTE TO FEATURE MASSIVE PIECE OF GROUND ZERO HISTORY AT WHITE HOUSE "I looked out my window and was able to observe the plume of smoke rising from the attack on the Pentagon," Mizusawa said.

"My normal commute took me directly past the section that was destroyed, and the smoke lingered for days." Mizusawa, the GOP nominee for Senate against Sen.

Mark Warner, D-Va., said he also played a role in hiring Army Lt.

Gen.

Timothy Maude, the highest-ranking military officer killed in the Pentagon attack.

He added he just recently met with the lone survivor of the Pentagon's staff section that took a direct hit from American Airlines Flight 77 that day.

"I reflected that, as tragic as the attack on the Pentagon was, the low-rise multi-ringed structure saved many lives as it was the virtual opposite form of structure compared to the World Trade Center buildings," he said.