JERSEY CITY, NJ -- Mayor Steven M. Fulop joined Hudson County dignitaries, City Council members, friends and family who lost loved ones, and members of the community today to pay special tribute to those lives lost in the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. The 9/11 Memorial Ceremony took place along the Jersey City waterfront directly across the Hudson River from the World Trade Center. First responders read the names of each Jersey City resident lost on that fateful day aloud.
“It is important that we commemorate September 11th every year to remember the lives lost on that tragic day and ensure that history does not repeat itself,” said Mayor Fulop. “Jersey City played an important role in supporting the first responders 22 years ago, and I want to thank our first responders and the community for being here today. We must never forget.”
Attendees gathered at the City’s 9/11 memorial, which consists of twisted steel beams from Ground Zero with a backdrop of the World Trade Center. The names of the Jersey City residents who died in the terrorist attacks are forever etched on the memorial to ensure those lost on that tragic day are never forgotten.
Among today’s event speakers was Council President Joyce Watterman. “My condolences to the family and friends in the community who lost loved ones. I want to thank our first responders. We do this every year because we want to remember what happened on our land, which is important considering what America stands for. We want to remind those who invaded us that we will not quit. We will not give up. When we are faced with challenges, we unite as a country.”
On the day of the attacks in 2001, the area where the memorial now stands became a triage center where emergency responders provided aid and assistance to those who sought refuge in Jersey City.
Jersey City Fire Department Battalion Chief Richard Gorman was one of the many emergency workers who responded to Ground Zero. “The day of the terrorist attacks, we were in shock. In the days that followed, we watched as the spirit of the United States came alive like never before. We remember every day, and we come together every year on this day to revive that spirit.”