Remembering 9/11 Amid Coronavirus: Services In Hoboken

HOBOKEN, NJ — Over the years, the nation has come together at ceremonies in Hoboken and other U.S. communities to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

However, as the 19th anniversary of the attacks arrives, ceremonies are likely to look different.

To date, more than 6 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting community leaders to put in place extra precautions and enhanced safety measures at these annual events. While some communities are moving events online, others are canceling events out of an abundance of caution.

Hoboken is one of many communities planning 9/11 ceremonies amid the pandemic.

The city announced Wednesday that all members of the public are invited to attend the city's annual September 11th Interfaith Memorial Service Friday.

It will take place at 6 p.m. on Pier A, next to the Hoboken 9/11 Memorial in the northwest area of the park. Face masks will be required at the ceremony, while social distancing measures will be in place for those attending.

The memorial is aligned in the direction of the World Trade Center site and includes a steel beam base with a glass panel for each of the 56 Hoboken residents lost on that day. Each panel is engraved with a name and is illuminated at night.

The memorial is located within the grove of ginkgo trees which are also aligned with the World Trade Center that were planted in 2002 as a living memorial. The perimeter of the grove includes steel plates on the ground engraved with quotes from those who were there on that fateful day.

Pier A is located just north of the Hoboken train terminal, on the Hudson River.

Different this year

Services held at 9/11 attack sites will look different this year because of the pandemic. Some have already faced a series of hurdles to go on as planned.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to send state health personnel to New York City to provide supervision during the annual "Tribute in Light" ceremony, a commemoration of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Cuomo said staff will be on hand to “ensure this year's tribute is held safely.”

Cuomo's announcement came just days after 9/11 Memorial & Museum officials had nixed the 2020 tribute due to coronavirus concerns.

Now, the focus of the New York City commemoration will be reading the names of victims. Family members will not read the names in person this year; instead, recorded readings from the museum’s In Memoriam exhibition will be used for the ceremony.

In Arlington County, Va., located just outside Washington, D.C., the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial remains closed to visitors because of COVID-19 restrictions. Arlington County typically holds an annual remembrance ceremony, which this year will be held virtually. Specific plans for this year’s service will be released the week of Sept. 11, according to county spokesperson Erika Moore.

In Pennsylvania, the National Park Service will hold an abbreviated ceremony at Shanksville. The 20-minute “Moment of Remembrance” is set to begin at 9:45 a.m., without a keynote speaker or musical guests.

The names of each passenger and crew member from Flight 93 will be read aloud with the ringing of the “Bells of Remembrance,” according to the agency’s website.

Both President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden plan to visit Shanksville on Friday. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, will attend Sept. 11 memorial ceremonies in New York this year.

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