North Bergen officials are planning two events Thursday to commemorate the second anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy, an event that took the lives of four township natives.
First, there will be a township-wide moment of silence at precisely 9:11 a.m. Thursday, as a way to remember all those who perished on that fateful day.
Then, an hour later, there will be a solemn ceremony outside of North Bergen High School, near the monument that was erected to remember the three North Bergen graduates who died in the tragedy.
All flags in the township will fly at half mast.
Teachers will instruct their students to talk about the events of Sept. 11, 2001 to remember how important it was in the history of the country.
“We can never let that day fade from our memory,” North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco said. “It’s a day that we should draw together as a community and as a nation and honor those who were lost two years ago. It’s still very fresh in our minds. It should be an important day for many years to come.”
Sacco said that the remembrances of 9-11 will serve as this generation’s version of Pearl Harbor.
“When I was in school, we all heard about Pearl Harbor and knew it was significant because many of our parents served in the military,” Sacco said. “But now, that event happened so long ago. In some kids’ eyes, that could have taken place in the Middle Ages. This generation doesn’t remember Pearl Harbor or Vietnam. But they will remember 9-11, because it happened right here.”
Sacco said that it is important for all students to remember the day and reflect.
“I think last year, we were all still very numb by what happened,” Sacco said. “Now, it’s settled in more, and actually it can be a little easier. But we still need to reflect and understand what happened, how catastrophic that day was. Perhaps we’ve all learned lessons from that horrible event.”
All township residents are encouraged to participate in the moment of silence and to attend the memorial service in front of the high school, which is scheduled to begin around 10:30 a.m.