RARITAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — Hunterdon County officials, law enforcement officers, first responders, veterans, community members and families gathered Friday morning to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and dedicate a permanent memorial honoring the 15 Hunterdon County residents who lost their lives that day.
Hunterdon County Sheriff Fred W. Brown joined county officials for the commemoration at Hilltop Reserve in Raritan Township. The ceremony marked the county’s first official Sept. 11 remembrance at the new memorial.
“Twenty-five years have passed, but September 11 remains a day that none of us should ever forget,” Brown said. “For me, and for so many people in law enforcement and throughout our community, those memories are still very real. Today was about remembering the people we lost, honoring their families and making sure their stories are carried forward.”
Hilltop Reserve holds a connection to Hunterdon County’s experience on Sept. 11, 2001. Located at one of the higher points in the county, the property provided a view of smoke rising from the World Trade Center on the morning of the attacks. Residents gathered there in the days that followed, looking toward New York City.
“This location has meaning because people were here on September 11 and in the days afterward,” Brown said. “They came here because they could see what was happening in New York from this hill. To now have a permanent place where people can remember the 15 Hunterdon County residents we lost and reflect on everything that happened that day is very meaningful.”
The permanent memorial incorporates elements representing each of the three attack sites. Two trees symbolize the World Trade Center towers, a Pentagon-shaped garden represents the Pentagon and an area of native vegetation represents the field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed. The site also includes a central monument, pavilion and walking trail.
The ceremony began with the Hunterdon Harmonizers performing “God Bless America,” followed by the presentation of colors and raising of the flags by the Hunterdon County Polytech Student Honor Guard.
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson led the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Hunterdon Central Regional High School Student Chorale Group performed the National Anthem. Chaplain Larry Coyne of the Clinton Fire Department and Hunterdon County Fire Chiefs Association offered the invocation and benediction.
Brown introduced guest speaker Mark Desire, assistant director of the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and World Trade Center DNA Identification Team manager.
Following Desire’s remarks, those gathered observed a moment of silence before the courthouse bell was tolled 15 times in memory of the 15 Hunterdon County residents who died in the attacks. Taps was performed by Scott Seymour of the Hunterdon County Bulldogs Marine Corps League, followed by a New Jersey State Police helicopter flyover.
Selected Hunterdon County high school choral groups performed “Hope Lingers On” before Brown introduced Commissioner Director John E. Lanza for the formal dedication of the memorial.
Brown also recognized law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and other first responders in attendance.
“As Sheriff, I am especially mindful of the first responders who ran toward danger that day and of those who continued working long after the attacks,” Brown said. “We witnessed extraordinary courage and service in the face of unimaginable tragedy. We owe it to those who gave their lives, and to all those who served, to keep their memory alive.”
The ceremony concluded with “Amazing Grace,” performed by Jim Curry and the Somerset County Police Pipes and Drums.
“This memorial will stand as a place of remembrance for the people of Hunterdon County,” Brown said. “We do not forget, and no one is forgotten. Twenty-five years from now, I want people to come to this place and still know the names and the stories of those we lost on September 11. That is why this memorial matters.”
