MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of County Commissioners invites residents of Morris County and beyond to join them on Sunday, September 8, at 6:00 p.m. in remembering and honoring those we lost in the September 11th terrorist attacks more than two decades ago.
The 23rd Annual Morris County 9/11 Remembrance ceremony will occur at the Morris County 9/11 Memorial at 460 West Hanover Avenue in Parsippany-Troy Hills. This year’s keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Brian Mignola, Deputy Chief Surgeon of the New York Police Department, who serves as the physician for over 1,500 police officers. He is also the director of a family medicine practice in the Dongan Hills section of Staten Island.
On September 11, 2001, Dr. Mignola cared for the victims on the day of the attacks and assisted with the transport of those injured or killed across the Hudson River. Nearly a quarter century later, he continues to provide ongoing care to those affected by 9/11, addressing long-term health issues and overseeing new cases as the head physician for the New York Police Department.
“This ceremony holds profound significance for Morris County as we honor the 64 friends and neighbors we lost 23 years ago in the cowardly 9/11 attacks. Our community united to create the county 9/11 memorial, which we’ve diligently maintained over the years. On this 23rd anniversary, we are honored to have Dr. Mignola join us as we gather to preserve the memory of those we lost, offer a prayer, and reaffirm our nation’s vow never to forget,” said Commissioner Director Christine Myers.
The Morris County 9/11 Memorial was constructed to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks, with a particular emphasis on the 64 Morris County residents who perished that day. The names of all the victims are engraved on ruby-colored paving stones set in the walkway surrounding the memorial, with the names of the 64 Morris County residents listed on individual brass plates affixed atop the memorial’s inner wall.
The county’s 9/11 event will begin with a march of area police, fire, rescue, and emergency personnel, accompanied by a color guard, up West Hanover Avenue as the Police Pipes and Drums of Morris County play music. An invocation by the Reverend George Dredden of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark will accompany a lighting of candles and the traditional reading of the names of each Morris County resident who died.
The Morris Choral Society will perform songs with musical interludes by Darren O’Neill and Ereni Sevasti. The Morris County Board of County Commissioners will conduct the remembrance, joined by U.S. Representatives Tom Kean Jr. and Mikie Sherill and Sheriff James Gannon.
Seating at the Memorial is limited, so the public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Parking will be available at the Morris County Department of Human Services building at 340 West Hanover Avenue, on the Morris Township side of the street. Shuttle buses will transport attendees the short distance to the memorial.
Police, fire departments, and rescue squads from across the county are invited to participate by sending one apparatus per department and assembling at 4:30 p.m. at the Morris County Public Safety Academy, 500 West Hanover Avenue, Parsippany-Troy Hills.
