20 Years Later, Remembering Little Silver's 9/11 Victims

NEW JERSEY— Anyone older than 25 in New Jersey likely remembers where they were on Sept. 11, 2001.

Americans watched as first one and then another plane flew into the twin towers. Another plane took aim at the Pentagon, killing 125, and a fourth was brought down in a field in Pennsylvania by incredibly brave passengers who realized their flight had been hijacked — and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their nation. Read: 5 Ways To Remember Sept. 11 This Weekend In Monmouth County

Three residents from Little Silver, and one from Oceanport were killed in the terror attacks. They are:

Little Silver:

• Michael G. Arczynski, 45; Aon Corp.; United States World Trade Center
• Timothy D. Betterly, 42; Cantor Fitzgerald; United States World Trade Center
• Karl Trumbull Smith, 44; Cantor Fitzgerald; United States World Trade Center

Oceanport:

• James J. Straine Jr., 36; Cantor Fitzgerald; United States World Trade Center

Watch this PBS special this week, from Middletown:

Nearly 3,000 Americans, including 750 from New Jersey, were killed in the suicide attacks carried out by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaida.

The annual “Tribute of Light,” which are lights pointed to the sky in the shape of the Twin Towers, will go on that night.

More than 2,700 people died at the World Trade Center alone on 9/11, including the passengers of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. Another 184 were killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and 44 died on United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.