Time-Lapse Video Shows Construction of Freedom Tower at Ground Zero [VIDEO]

12 years ago on September 11th, I was awakened by a phone call from my mom. When I answered, the first words I heard were, "We're under attack. Turn on the TV."

I got dressed and did just that. By the time I turned it on, the planes had already hit both towers. That was when we all realized this wasn't just some horrible accident.

I stayed glued to the TV--through the news of the assault on the Pentagon, the plane crash in western Pennsylvania, and of course, the mind-boggling and mind-altering site of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

To this day, I'm not sure how I processed what I had just seen. I'm still not sure I ever did. But I do know that this country's resolve was strengthened unlike at any other time in history. We understood, for the first time, that we were vulnerable. And we rallied.

A commitment was made to rebuild at Ground Zero. And that project has been underway for more than a decade, now. I remember a time when if you asked someone--like me--who'd never been to New York City what's the first thing they would see when they went, the answer was usually the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty or Broadway. And while those landmarks likely remain on most lists, everyone I ask always says Ground Zero, now. That's at the top of mine.

The Freedom Tower at Ground Zero recently got its spire and now you can see a time-lapse video showing the construction of this deeply meaningful memorial.

No...we will never forget.