Ocean County Set to Mark 13th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks

As the nation marks the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Thursday with ceremonies in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, local officials will offer an opportunity for residents to do the same.

Of the more than 700 New Jersey residents killed in the attacks, at least 21 had ties to Ocean County, including eight with ties to Brick.

Ocean County will honor the memories of those 21 and the other nearly 3,000 people killed that day at its Annual Day of Remembrance. The ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the county’s Sept. 11 Memorial in the courtyard by the county buildings at 119 Hooper Avenue.

Toms River will have a remembrance ceremony at 9:30 a.m., led by Toms River Fire Company 1, at the Fireman’s Statue on the corner of Washington and Robbins streets.

The Ocean County College History Club will host its annual service at the Veterans Memorial on the campus’s pedestrian mall, beginning at 12:30 p.m. This year’s ceremony will be immediately followed by a tribute to OCC history professor Geri Ryder, who died last November.

Brick Township will have its Remembrance Ceremony and Candlelight Vigil at its 9/11 memorial in Windward Beach Park at the Angel in Anguish statue. That service begins at 6 p.m.

The Ocean County victims, compiled from several sources, include:

• John Badagliacca, of Brick and Staten Island.
• Brett T. Bailey of Brick
• Christopher S. Cramer of Manahawkin
• John Robert Cruz of Jersey City, formerly of Lakewood
• Robert P. Devitt Jr. of Plainsboro, formerly of Brick
• Michael D. Diehl of Brick
• Patrick Joseph Driscoll of Point Pleasant Beach
• Patricia M. Fagan of Toms River
• Harvey J. Gardner III of Lakewood
• William H. Kelly Jr. of Long Beach Township
• Robert C. “Bob” Kennedy of Toms River
• Joseph Mangano of Jackson
• Fred Morrone of Lakewood
• Edward K. Oliver of Jackson
• Jon A. Perconti of Brick
• Susan M. Pollio of Long Beach Township
• James Sands Jr. of Brick
• Raphael “Ralph” Scorca of Beachwood
• Thomas Sgroi of Brick
• Catherine Smith of Long Beach Township
• Christopher M. Traina of Brick

(PHOTO: The Tribute in Light shines above the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center, left, in New York on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. Credit: Mark Lennihan, Associated Press)