Middletown Township’s World Trade Center Memorial Garden pays tribute to the 37 residents who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Visitors are welcomed at the gardens from dawn to dusk. PHOTOS BY FRANK GALIPO A silent tribute was held for Middletown residents who died in the World Trade Center attacks during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Middletown WTC Memorial Gardens. The memorial was held on the 14th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, at 8:46 a.m., the time when the first plane hit the towers.
Township Committee members, family members, as well as representatives of the Middletown Police Department, Middletown Fire Department, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2179, American Legion Post 338 and American Legion Post 515 participated.
An American flag flown over the World Trade Center on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks flew at the Memorial Gardens during the ceremony. In addition, an American flag flown over the U. S. Capitol in memory of the Middletown residents flew at Town Hall.
Middletown Township Committee members led friends, family and residents through the Middletown World Trade Center Memorial Garden during a silent Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony. The Memorial Gardens feature a landscaped path with benches and a personalized memorial for each of the 37 residents. The gardens are located next to the Middletown Arts Center at 36 Church St. and are open to the public daily.
The Memorial Gardens were developed by the Middletown WTC Memorial Committee, a nonprofit group consisting of family members and interested residents. The gardens were opened to the public on Sept. 11, 2003. Construction of the memorial was made possible largely through donations. The 37 residents honored at the Memorial Gardens are: Lorraine D. Antigua, Jane S. Beatty, Donna Bernaerts-Kearns, Alfred J. Braca, Ronald M. Breitweiser, Patrick J. Buhse, Stephen J. Cangialosi, Swede Joseph Chevalier, Dolores Marie Costa, Edward Desimone III;
Michael Egan, David Ferrugio, Daniel J. Gallagher, John M. Grazioso, Felicia Hamilton, Patrick A. Hoey, Kathleen A. Hunt Casey, Brendan Mark Lang, Roseanne P. Lang, Anna A. Laverty;
Michael Patrick McDonnell, Peter T. Milano, Louis J. Minervino, Justin John Molisani Jr., James Thomas Murphy, Christopher Newton-Carter, Paul R. Nimbley, Robert Emmett Parks, Jr., Nicholas P. Pietrunti, John M. Pocher;
Beth Ann Quigley, Gregg Reidy. Robert Andrew Spencer, Dick Stadelberger, Kenneth Tietjen, Anthony Ventura, Rodney James Wotton.
The Memorial Gardens are maintained by the Middletown WTC Memorial Committee in partnership with Middletown Township. Donations for the perpetual maintenance of the gardens are welcome and can be sent to: Middletown WTC Memorial Gardens, c/o Mayor’s Office, Middletown Township, 1 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ 07748.