It was a sunny September morning twenty-two years ago when a devastating act of terrorism changed the lives of thousands of people around the world. The 9/11 attacks in the United States killed 2,977 people and thousands more were left grieving.
Each year on the anniversary of the attacks, the world remembers the tragedy of that day and the people whose lives were forever changed.
This year, however, President Joe Biden broke with the tradition of attending one of the three 9/11 crash sites and, instead, is marking the anniversary in Alaska on his way back from Vietnam.
The decision has sparked a furious backlash from 9/11 families who are demanding answers and justice - most notably Joe Bocchi and Brett Eagleson, both of whom lost their fathers in the attacks.
Bocchi told DailyMail.com that the decision to be in Alaska was a 'massive slap in the face' and a 'betrayal'. Eagleson accused the president of 'ignoring' the families and said staying away 'doesn't send the greatest of signals'.
The two men have been pushing the US government for two decades for answers and justice. They are asking for any evidence of Saudi Arabia's involvement in 9/11 to be declassified and for help with getting compensation - but these have been held up in endless legal battles. On top of this, the prospect of a plea deal being offered to five of the alleged 9/11 plotters detained in Guantanamo Bay has sparked fury from the families looking for justice.
Eagleson however, has found an ally in Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey. The couple invited Eagleson to the governor's mansion on Memorial Day to hear their stories and learn about their fight for the truth.
For Bocchi and the other 9/11 families, the fight for answers and justice continues. The 26th of September will remain etched in our memories for years to come but the families are fearful that the significance of the day will eventually be forgotten. 'Unfortunately, the reality is people are going to forget slowly', Bocchi says.
For Bocchi and Eagleson, it's paramount that 9/11 remains in the public conscience, and as such, they are adamant that the impact of the attacks on society must not be a distant memory. In Biden, they face an apex of a 'broader disconnect' that exists between the government and the public. It's time for unity, rather than division, they insist.
For now, it seems the families will continue to fight for justice and the truth. As Eagleson put it, 'I'm not hopeful that the administration is even hearing us on this issue'.
