OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
4:25 PM – Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Actor Chris Pratt provided a personal tribute towards 9/11 victims on social media that resulted in him urging American citizens to continue embracing the unity and patriotism that they shared with one another after the deadly event in 2001.
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The Guardians of the Galaxy star presented his speech at a remembrance ceremony at Pepperdine University’s Alumni Park in front of students, faculty, and alumni on Monday, September 11th, 2023.
Nearly 3,000 flags were displayed in the ceremony’s backdrop, with each portraying a life lost on that day.
Pratt gave the event’s memorable address to an audience of more than 1,000 people.
Following the 22nd anniversary honoring those who died in the terrorist attacks, Pratt posted a video of himself orating the 9/11 memorial speech that he presented at the university.
Pratt, who was the keynote speaker at the event, began describing to the audience how he felt about the events that transpired that day while he was making a movie in New Zealand.
“I’d never seen anything like that in my life. I stepped out and I fell to my knees in the snow and I cried. And I cried. And in that moment, I gotta say, I felt – I felt really alone. And I wanted to go home. I wanted to come back to America,” he expressed.
The actor encouraged American citizens to “rekindle the 9/11 effect and keep it alive” for future generations so that they have similar “faith,” “love” and “patriotism” that “grew from the ashes of that day.”
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which coincided with the video, the actor wrote a similar message to his 8.4 million followers.
“Don’t let the 9/11 effect fade. Just a week ago, we gathered to remember the heroes and the indomitable spirit that emerged from the ashes,” he wrote. “Let’s keep that fire of patriotism burning bright, honoring the sacrifices of those who stepped up in the face of adversity.”
He added, “In a world that sometimes feels divided, it’s crucial to remember that we are one nation, united under the same flag, indivisible. Let’s carry the torch forward, ensuring that the lessons of 9/11 continue to shape our future and inspire generations to come. #NeverForget @pepperdine.”
“And I say this gently to those who are immersed in their own worlds and who think their country doesn’t need them — and I say this with some urgency — it is your torch to carry. Your country needs you,” Pratt said. I feel called to be of service…To help other people better…comprehend what has and what continues to make America the great shining beacon on the hill.”
“We need each other, man. We’re on the same team. We are the United States of America. When we are ‘One Nation Under God’ we are indivisible.”
In a repost of the speech on social media, Pratt noted to “carry the torch forward,” ensuring that the lessons of 9/11 continue to develop our future and inspire generations to come.
Additionally, Pratt mentioned his brother, who was extremely worried during the attack since he was serving in the United States Army at the time.
“My brother, my older brother Cully was in the army at the time. I thought, ‘Oh my God, my brother’s going to go to war,” he said. “I felt the tectonic plates of the earth shifting beneath my feet. I knew at that moment that the world I lived in was going to be totally different moving forward.”
Pratt also spoke about the importance of possessing memorial observances over two decades on from the deadly tragedy, explaining to the community that they “ensure that we will not forget what happened on that tragic day. They were important then, they’re even more important now, 22 years later.”
He continued by saying, “Understanding this history means a future in which policymakers have the opportunity to take the lessons of the past and apply them going forward as wisdom. That’s what we owe those on the planes, and in the buildings, who never made it home that day. It’s what we owe the firefighters, the police officers and paramedics who responded.”
“It’s what we owe those who were already in uniform and those who stepped up in service to this great nation in the aftermath of the attacks,” he added.
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