The New Destiny Family Worship Center performed “Angels” and “Total Praise” in memory of the lives lost during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks during the sixth anniversary memorial ceremony at the North Brunswick Municipal Building on Tuesday. NORTH BRUNSWICK – Over 200 community members commemorated the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, during a ceremony held in the municipal courtroom on Tuesday.
Lou Ann Benson, who lost her friend Jeremy Glick on that fateful day, opened the memorial by commenting on how life has changed over the past several years.
“This evening, each one of us will remember the start of the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the same way. The skies were bright with clear blue skies. Many families in their regular routine hugged each other and off they went on to their day, but at the end of the day, on Sept. 11, each of our days ended differently.”
With over 300 firefighters dying in the terrorist attacks and over 300 children losing one or both of their parents, Benson said, “tonight, together as a community, we gather to unite, pause and reflect on the events of Sept. 11, 2001.”
Council President Bob Davis, whose cousin Glenn Davis Kirwin was killed during the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, addresses over 200 residents attending a memorial service in North Brunswick on Tuesday. Township Council President Bob Davis added his own sentiments about losing his cousin, Glenn Davis Kirwin, when the twin towers were destroyed. He said he recently attended Kirwin’s son’s bar mitzvah, “an occasion he should have been around to enjoy.” He rhetorically asked how many other families have had relatives absent for special events, stating that “We as loyal Americans must never forget that day.”
Although most people are in agreement that life, and history, have changed since six years ago, some question how long such remembrances should continue. Some survivors think every day about the attacks; other people want to move on with life. The Rev. Mark McGrath acknowledged that the sixth anniversary of anything is not a “big day,” because it “lacks the passion of the first few and the ceremony of a big one like five or 10 [years]. The sixth anniversaries in life are just another day.
Therefore, he stressed always remembering the events that affected New York City, Shanksville, Pa., and Arlington, Va., and, by residual effect, the rest of the world.
“As time progresses,” he said, “those whose dinner tables have never been the same, those whose family photos have forever been altered, those circles need little reminders. There are reminders day in and day out that things have changed for so many of us.”
McGrath said that Americans have a job to do in remembering, reminding us of “the horror and the shock we felt that day.” However, he also said that out of tragedy came hope and love and perseverance. He told the members of the crowd, many of whom were crying, that “It is always right to be shocked and horrified at violence that takes the lives of others. We ought to remember. We always have a right to be angry at such awful acts. We ought to remember the grief, that all our lives have been altered. We also ought to remember the pride we felt, the courage, the lines up and down the Turnpike, the lines of rescue vehicles waiting to be summoned.”
There were several emotional performances throughout the night. The Middlesex County Police and Fire Pipes and Drums and the North Brunswick Honor Guard proceeded into the courtroom first. The Youth Council led the Pledge of Allegiance, the high school choral group sang “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America,” the Sept. 11 Committee and Linwood Middle School placed wreaths in the front of the room, the high school band performed from the hallway, the New Destiny Family Worship Center chorale sang “Angels” and “Total Praise,” and Glen Burtnik played his guitar.
An especially touching moment was when 10-year-old Carly Lembo, the winner of the Sept. 11 poetry contest, read the poem she wrote, titled “Uncle Alan and My Last Memory.”
“One goes down, Two goes down, And he goes down with them.
“I loved him and he loved me.
“We would play together and I would cuddle with him, My last memory.
“I loved him and he loved me.
“Cotton candy and one last memory, I miss him and he misses me.
“I loved him and he loved me.”
“We need to remember that forever, North Brunswick Township will remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and together as a community we stay united,” Benson said to conclude the ceremony.
Despite the rain causing the memorial to be held indoors, members of the police department closed down a portion of Hermann Road afterward so that residents could visit the memorial and lay flowers. The monument features steel from the World Trade Center and two tablets that include the names of all of the people who were killed in 2001. The flagpole was donated by the North Brunswick Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 160 and the lighting was donated by CioffiElectric.
Donations for the upkeep and future improvements to the memorial can be sent to Lou Ann Benson, director of Parks, Recreation & Community Services, 710 Hermann Road, North Brunswick 08902. Checks can be made payable to North Brunswick Township.
The Sept. 11 Committee members are: Lou Ann Benson, Ann Coscione, Carmen Crea, Bob Davis, Dan and Ann DiStefano, Dawn Holubiak, Carol Ann LaBarbera, Kenneth McCormick, Mark McGrath and Roni Salkin. For more information, contact Benson at (732) 247-0922, ext. 475, or LBenson@ northbrunswickonline.com.