The public is invited to attend “Essex County Remembers,” ceremony at the Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial to mark the 13th anniversary of the tragedies in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania, according to a press release from Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.
The details are as follows:
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2014
Time: 8 a.m.
Place: Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial
Essex County Eagle Rock Reservation
Eagle Rock Avenue
West Orange, NJ
“After the attacks, people spontaneously came to Eagle Rock Reservation to view the tragedy unfold at the Twin Towers and leave cards, letters, photos and flowers in an impromptu memorial in honor of their loved ones,” said DiVincenzo in the release. “I knew immediately that this was the natural location for a memorial because of the public attraction to this site and the unparalleled view of the World Trade Center from the lookout area. Our September 11th Memorial is a special place for people to come for solace and comfort because of its unique location and its powerful message of peace and hope.”
He continued, “We must never forget the importance of this day and remember all those who lost their lives. I encourage everyone to take time out of their day to mark the 11th anniversary of September 11th and visit this revered site.”
At 8 a.m., there will be a brief program with family members who lost loved ones on that day, as well as elected officials and clergy members from different religious faiths. Memorial wreaths will be laid at the monument and a new American flag will be raised. A string quartet will perform after the ceremony until 2 p.m.
According to the release, the Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial was dedicated in October 2002, just over a year after the attacks. Its many elements pay tribute to the men and women, police officers, firefighters and other first responders who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, in Pennsylvania and aboard the four airplanes that crashed that day. It was the only 9/11 memorial to list all 3,000 victims’ names until 2011 when the World Trade Center Memorial was dedicated. In 2009, the Essex County 9/11 Memorial was expanded to include a monument honoring the 33 flight crew members aboard the four airplanes that crashed. In 2011, a 7,400-pound steel and concrete artifact from the World Trade Center foundation was installed at the site and a bronze plaque was dedicated to honor emergency medical technicians who responded to Ground Zero and those who provided aid to people returning from New York across the Hudson River.
