By: Kelly Martins
The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites all residents to honor the lives lost in the September 11th terrorist attacks at Union County’s September 11th Memorial in Echo Lake Park in Mountainside on Monday, September 11, 2023.
“It has been 22 years since America was gripped by heartbreak, tragedy, and fear in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Although time has passed, the legacy of those we lost, including 60 Union County residents and thousands from across our nation, continues to reside deep within our hearts,” said Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados.
“Each year, our community comes together in a solemn memorial to honor the exceptional bravery and selflessness of these individuals and I encourage all of our residents to attend this important vigil as we pledge to never let their memory fade.”
A uniformed Honor Guard will stand watch at the memorial from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Residents are encouraged to bring and light candles in remembrance of those lives lost on September 11. Candles will also be available at the memorial, courtesy of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation.
Completed in 2003, this memorial is dedicated to the sixty Union County residents who perished in the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The Union County Board of County Commissioners worked alongside residents of Cranford, Elizabeth, Kenilworth, Linden, Mountainside, Rahway, Scotch Plains, Summit, Union and Westfield to design this memorial.
Two sections of steel from the World Trade Center are positioned next to each other on a five-sided brick base representing the Pentagon, alongside a sculpture of a hand holding an “Eternal Flame,” memorializing the Armed Service members, emergency responders, and passengers aboard United Flight 93 who lost their lives that day.
The memorial is located on a hill at the border of Mountainside and Springfield in Union County’s Echo Lake Park, near the Springfield Avenue entrance.
For more details about the Union County September 11th Memorial, please visit ucnj.org/september-11th-memorial.
NOTE: Kelly Martins is the Director of the Union County Office of Communication & Public Information