Sept. 11 commemorated in Randolph Township

By TINA DEANGELIS Contributing Writer

Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, R-Morris, speaks during the Randolph VFW Post 7333's September 11 Commemoration Thursday. Photos by Tina Deangelis.

RANDOLPH TWP. – Dozens gathered at VFW Post 7333’s home on Carrell Road Thursday morning, Sept. 11, remembering that fateful day 24 years ago, and commemorating the 2,977 who lost their lives when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City.

Speakers included Mayor Joe Hathaway and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, R-Morris.

“Twenty four years have passed since the morning that changed our nation forever,” Dunn said.

“Time has moved on, but the responsibility to remember has not. The responsibility lives here in moments like this with the neighbors who gather, veterans who lead and together we recommit ourselves to never forget,” she said.

“We stand united, not in sorrow but in our commitment to never forget. Some were not here to witness the horror, the heroism that unfolded. Some didn’t see the firefighters, police officers charging into the burning buildings, or volunteers lining up to donate blood. We honor those who gave so much of themselves that day,” she said.

“No one asked who did you vote for?, what faith did you practice, what label do you wear? We were all one people united in grief and hope,” she said.

“Today we remember 300 souls who ran into terror on Sept. 11, they left behind spouses, children. The professional sacrifices they made that day in the years since the global war on terror,” she said.

“As we gather remembrance, our hearts are heavy with another loss, the assassination of a young political activist, taken from us yesterday. His was a young life full of promise cut short by senseless violence. It is a stark reminder that freedom and safety are never guaranteed whether on our streets our colleges, or in the public places,” she said.