Morris County to mark 25th anniversary of 9/11 with remembrance ceremony and candlelight vigil
PARSIPPANY-TROY HILLS, N.J. (Morris County) — Morris County will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with a public remembrance ceremony and candlelight vigil on Sunday, Sept. 13.
The ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Morris County 9/11 Memorial, 460 W. Hanover Ave., and will feature keynote remarks by Dennis Letts, a retired U.S. Secret Service executive and Tunnel to Towers Foundation ambassador.
Letts was a U.S. Secret Service special agent on Sept. 11, 2001, and was exiting the North Tower of the World Trade Center when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building. According to Morris County, he immediately returned to assist with evacuating thousands of occupants and later helped with the evacuation of civilians from Lower Manhattan after the towers collapsed. He was awarded the United States Secret Service Medal of Valor for his actions.
The annual ceremony will begin after sundown this year, more than an hour later than in previous years, to accommodate residents observing Rosh Hashanah.
The program will include a candlelight vigil, musical tributes, an invocation, the reading of the names of the 64 Morris County residents who died in the attacks and a procession of firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical personnel, veterans and other dignitaries.
The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people after four commercial airliners were hijacked. Two planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City, one hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought to regain control of the aircraft.
The public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs, as seating at the memorial is limited.
Parking will be available at the Morris County Department of Human Services offices, 340 W. Hanover Ave., with shuttle service provided to and from the memorial.
Police, fire and rescue agencies wishing to participate may send one apparatus per department and are asked to assemble by 6 p.m. at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, 500 W. Hanover Ave.
The ceremony also will be livestreamed on the Morris County Facebook page.
