Essex County Mourns 9/11 Victims: ‘We Will Never Forget’

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — On Monday, people across Essex County gathered to mourn for their loved ones and pay tribute to 9/11 victims on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

With its close proximity to New York City and the dozens of local victims who died in the infamous 2001 attacks, Essex County has an especially poignant relationship to the tragic events of that day.

“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,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. recently recalled ahead of the county’s annual ceremony, which took place at the Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial in West Orange.

According to county officials, the 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.

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Towns and cities across Essex County held their own 9/11-related tributes on Monday.

In Bloomfield, organizers planned to light 2,977 luminary bags along the sidewalks of the town green. Other ceremonies were held in Belleville, Livingston, Nutley and the Caldwells, as well as other municipalities in Essex County.

“For a time after that horrible day, a common phrase was ‘Never Forget,’” Nutley Public Safety Commissioner Alphonse Petracco said.

“Unfortunately, some have gotten away from that in their day to day lives,” Petracco said. “So I think our ceremony is more relevant than ever this year. Nutley will continue to ‘Never Forget’ –and this is one way of showing that.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka shared the following thoughts on Monday:

“Today, once again, we reflect on what has risen up from the enormous pain and sadness of September 11, 2001, and realize that what survived is our memory of coming together, despite our differences, to console and heal each other. To offer each other undeniable reverence, compassion and hope. Maybe no other single day in modern history so clearly exposed the darkness of hate and the radiance of love in their fullest forms, side by side. The explosion of hate lasted but moments. But the surge of love that rose from that day can still be accessed to inspire courage and kindness. As we stop to reflect all these years later, we realize that what has risen up from the depths of despair 22 years ago, is a mightily propelled and passionate hope for a future free from fear. What has risen from the unspeakable hatred that piloted those planes is an immeasurable monument to all that is good and honorable in humankind. What has risen up from the ultimate act of disregard for human life is profound appreciation for the preciousness and exquisite beauty of a human life lived in love. So let us water those seeds, see the beauty in each other, and pay tribute to this undeniable evidence of the power of love over hate.”

The Montclair Firefighters Foundation issued a message of mourning on Monday.

“On the 22nd anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11/01, the Montclair Firefighters Foundation takes time to remember, honor, and mourn the loss of all those who sacrificed their lives,” the organization wrote. “We will never forget the events of that day.”

In Newark, the department of public safety also issued a solemn message about the tragic milestone.

“Today, on the 22nd Anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé and the entire Newark Department of Public Safety honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost,” authorities wrote.

“We continue praying for their families and loved ones,” Newark authorities continued. “We also honor each heroic 9/11 first responder, military personnel, and survivor. We will never forget.”

“While the attacks themselves occurred 22 years ago, their consequences are still felt each day,” Livingston township officials said in a message. They continued:

“America has made important gains in security since 2001. However, some of those gains have come at the cost of personal freedom, as demonstrated by the heavy screenings and regulations implemented at airports and experienced upon entering many public buildings. Every day, the families and friends of those taken on 9/11 mourn the loss of their loved ones and all their lives could have been. Residents are encouraged to attend this event, which is held so closely in the hearts of all ... Livingston cares and never forgets.”

“Today, we come together around the common threads that bound us 22 years ago,” U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez said Monday, summarizing the feelings of many people in Essex County.

“But we must also ensure moving forward that we continue to invest in the best ideals of America,” the senator added. “That every day, we wake up with the same sense of duty and responsibility to one another. To honor those we lost, we must be present in the bright lights of public ceremonies and in the quiet moments of private aching that so often surrounds this solemn date.”

“This will always be my North Star as we work to deliver justice and fairness to all the survivors, first responders and families affected on that fateful day,” Menendez said.

• See Related: West Orange Woman Helped Save Lives On 9/11, Historian Says

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