Evesham 9/11 remembrance on the 18th anniversary honors the 2,974 killed, including local hero Leroy Homer Jr., co-pilot of United Airlines Flight 93 Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Observing Patriot’s Day during a pandemic has event organizers balancing the nation’s vow to “Never Forget” with the coronavirus threat.
“We would hope and expect that folks would, with responsibility, commemorate 9/11,” Gov. Phil Murphy said during a recent briefing, noting 704 state residents lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“This is the 19th anniversary and I would say absolutely commemorate it, but – and the big but is – do it responsibly,” Murphy said, urging the usual precautions of social distancing, face coverings. and limited gatherings.
Camden County, Burlington County, and the City of Millville will host in-person outdoor observances.
The “Remembering Our Fallen” 9/11 memorial exhibit was assembled Wednesday at Veteran’s Island in Cooper River Park in Camden, where it will remain on display around-the-clock through Sept. 15.
“We did have this booked prior to COVID,” said Dan Keashen, the Camden County communications director. “While we canceled just about all of our summer offerings, including concerts and other gatherings, we thought we were able to facilitate this monument in a way that we were still able to observe CDC guidelines.
“We can still observe public health guidelines and ensure that we are paying proper respect on a very solemn day in our national history,” Keashen said.
The photographic war memorial, featuring military and personal photographs, honors military service members who lost their lives during the War on Terror.
“I just hung the banner that has my son’s two pictures on it, and it’s very emotional,” said Camden County Freeholder and Gold Star mother Melinda Kane. Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy Kane — killed while serving in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom — is featured on Tower 29, Panel 1, in the exhibit.
“It really is an opportunity to honor these men and women and to educate, we have a generation of people who weren’t even born on 9/11,” Kane said. Her son was 14 years old on 9/11 and said he knew that day what path his life would take. On Sept. 11 during his freshman year of college, he joined the U.S. Marines.
“The trajectory of our lives changed on that day,” Kane said. “When we think of 9/11, of course we are honoring those who were killed in the Pentagon, and in New York, and on the planes, but that day set in motion the lives of thousands and thousands; how many lives have been lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in training and aviation accidents.”
It is a Sept. 11 ritual to remember the names of those lost, but Kane urged the community to come and look at their faces.
“I encourage everyone who goes to the exhibit to give themselves some time to take it all in,” Kane said.
Gloucester County and the City of Vineland are hosting virtual ceremonies made possible through partnerships.
“The planning of the 2020 virtual Patriot's Day ceremony was a collaborative effort between Gloucester County and Mantua Township,” Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said. “We were able to coordinate the safest way to have each participant in our ceremony come ahead of time to film at the Place of Reflection, located at Chestnut Branch Park in Mantua.”
The ceremony will be shared through the Gloucester County website, Facebook and YouTube. It will air at 9 a.m. Friday on local channels, Comcast Channel 97 or Verizon Channel 34.
“COVID-19 has caused us to miss many events throughout the year, so supplying a ceremony this year was a challenge, but an important one to conquer,” Damminger said.
The Vineland Fire Department traditionally throws open the truck bays to welcome the community, including church groups and school children, inside Station 6 fire headquarters to join its 9/11 ceremony.
“With COVID happening this year, it became a lot more difficult to try to do that and to get everyone into the fire house,” firefighter Carlos Mercado, who coordinates the event and found himself at impasse.
“I was at a virtual meeting among the foundation board of the Cumberland County Technical Education Center, so I asked (Superintendent) Dina Rossi if the school would be willing to assist us with doing a virtual ceremony,” said Mercado, securing access to school's production studio. “Over a two-day period, we filmed the entire program.”
It will be broadcast 6 p.m. Friday on YouTube, Facebook, as well as the local education/government TV channel Comcast Channel 9 and Channel 41 on Verizon Fios.
“It will be almost like it’s live,” Mercado said.
The pandemic prompted Burlington County to host is first 9/11 remembrance ceremony. It is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday outside the county's Emergency Services Training Center in Westampton, where a piece of steel recovered from the fallen World Trade Center is displayed.
“We decided this year would be a good time to start the tradition, in part, because we believed other 9/11 ceremonies might be canceled due to the pandemic and we wanted to make sure the anniversary didn’t come and go without it being properly recognized,” said David Levinksy, Burlington County public information officer. “Also, with all the turmoil this year, we thought holding a remembrance ceremony would be a good way to demonstrate hope, unity, and a common cause for our residents to get behind.
“We also believe that by live-streaming and recording the ceremony and posting it on social media, we can reach a large audience rather than asking people to gather in person,” Levinsky said.
Millville is also proceeding with an in-person observance.
“We, the City of Millville, are actually one of a few cities especially here in South Jersey, that have held something continuously every year since 9/11,” said Samantha Cruz of the Millville Recreation and Volunteer Committee that organizes the event.
This year, the scaled back candlelight vigil will be held 7 p.m. Friday at Millville's Riverfront Park.
“We did condense it quite a bit, but personally, I just feel that it’s something that we just can’t stop doing because of COVID-19,” Cruz said.
“We put out a flyer and announcement that social distancing is required,” she said. The flyer also features the Statue of Liberty wearing a red, white, and blue face mask to remind participants to bring their face coverings too.
The reason to continue is simple and heartfelt, Cruz said.
“We never forget.”
Deborah M. Marko is a senior reporter with The Daily Journal. Currently focused on breaking news and education issues, she also oversees community outreach programs that promote literacy and public safety. Got a story idea? Call 856-563-5256. Follow on Twitter: @dmarko_dj Instagram: deb.marko.dj Help support local journalism with a The Daily Journal subscription.
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Patriot's Day observances balance 'Never Forget' with pandemic threat - The Daily Journal
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