This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

9/11 Weekend: Journeys of Remembrance

Ceremonies and tributes marking the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks will be found throughout the region.

If this weekend your thoughts are somewhere other than family fun, you're not alone.

Each week, Day Tripper visits destinations that are out of town, but in reach, suggesting weekend activities and adventures. But with the 10-year-anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Sunday, our minds, and likely yours, are more on reflection than recreation. This week, we're reviewing trips you can take to honor those lost on 9/11.

Memories of 9/11 will be at their most raw in the Tri-State Area, a region where so many people who worked at the World Trade Center made their homes. So it would be easy for locals to forget that Shanksville, Pa. and the Pentagon will be hosting events of their own. In fact, in a nod to the national significance of 9/11, vigils, memorials and even celebrations of 10 years of healing will take place from coast to coast.

Find out what's happening in Hillsboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Joseph Rabito was a first-responder volunteer on Sept. 11, 2001. His acts of bravery have cost him a lot in the years since the towers fell.

"The effects of 9/11 are indeed multiple. I could mention the respiratory illness I’ve developed, or I could mention the post-traumatic stress disorder that includes daytime flashbacks, as well as being unable to sleep at night," he said. "Or I could say not being able to breathe makes it difficult to do everyday ordinary things like walking uphill or climbing stairs. 9/11 has robbed many people of the quality of life we all once enjoyed."

Find out what's happening in Hillsboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And that's why, he said, as residents of New Jersey and elsewhere reflect on the anniversary, they should not only honor those lost, but recognize the sacrifices of those who survived.

“People should take part in remembrances everywhere because this is the first time since Pearl Harbor that out country came under an unprovoked attack," Rabito said. "It is also fitting that people pay homage to the lives lost, as well as to the sacrifices that were made at Ground Zero on that day, and for the following nine months, which New York and America as a whole can be proud of. It was ... the sacrifices that were made by volunteers as well as government employees that brought New York back to being the financial capitol of the world.”

This year, two major 9/11 memorials are opening for the first time: The National 9/11 Memorial in New York City and the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. You can also visit the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va. (Note: Patch urges caution for those traveling this weekend, as 

For information on those ceremonies and others:

Time: Sunday at 2 p.m.

Location: The memorial is located at the corner of Routes 53 and 202 in Morris Plains.

The recently-completed memorial includes a section of steel from the World Trade Center and is the only memorial located within sight of a NJ Transit line so it can be seen every day by commuters.

Time: Sunday at 7 p.m.

Location: Morris County September 11 Memorial, West Hanover Avenue, Parsippany-Troy Hills, across from Morris View Healthcare Center (formerly Morris View Nursing Home).

The county's Sept. 11 Memorial pays tribute to all of those who died, with special consideration for the Morris County residents lost in the attack.

Time: Saturday, from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Location: The Green, on Park Place in Morristown

Americans for Liberty will be presenting this event, which will include several speakers including retired FDNY & EMS commander Billy Gleason, retired division commander Jeff Endean, and 9/11 family member Rosa Perez-Leonetti. There will also be music to honor America featuring vocalist Barbara Eames.

Time: Sunday at 6 p.m.

Where: Pier A Park, Hoboken, against the backdrop of downtown Manhattan

The theme of this year's annual interfaith memorial service to remember those who were lost on Sept. 11, 2001 is "A Time To Come Together, A Time To Remember." City Officials, members of the Hoboken clergy coalition and other community organizations will be present. Hoboken's mayorhas  said that other officials—such as U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez as well as Gov. Chris Christie—have also been invited to attend.

Following the ceremony, the NFL will perform a tribute to 9/11 on Pier A featuring a bugler playing Taps. This tribute will play live on NBC before a game between the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. Afterward, the entire game will be broadcast on a screen at Pier A Park, where residents are welcome to watch.

National 9-11 Museum & Memorial

Time: Open to the public starting Monday.

Location: World Trade Center, 1 Albany St. New York, NY

The National Sept. 11 Memorial will be dedicated on Sunday for family members of the victims of both 9/11 and the Feb. 26, 1993 World Trade Center attacks. This event on Sept. 11 is not open to the public. The memorial will open up to the public on Sept. 12, 2011, and will welcome visitors who have reserved advance passes.

Flight 93 National Memorial Dedication

Time: Saturday, mid-day

Location (For GPS use and plotting routes): 6281 Lincoln Highway, Stoystown, PA, 15563

Dedication of Phase 1 of the permanent memorial will begin mid-day, and will last for approximately two hours. Musical tributes, wreath layings, and additional activities will continue through the afternoon. An evening event is planned. Events will be open to the public. No tickets are required. Signs will direct visitors to the new entrance, which will be located on US 30. There will be field parking and visitor shuttles will provide access to the events.

Pentagon Memorial Ten-Year Commemoration

Time: Private for families during a ceremony Sunday, open to the public after.

Location: Arlington, VA.

The Pentagon plans to have an invite-only ceremony for families of 9-11 victims. More details have been provided directly to these families. The memorial will re-open to the general public following the ceremony.

Garden of Reflection Annual Remembrance Ceremony & Candlelight Vigil

Time: Vigil 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Remembrance Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Sunday

Location: 1950 Woodside Road, Yardley, PA.


Time: Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

Location: , 36 Church St, Middletown, 07748 (WTC Memorial Gardens)

The Middletown WTC Gardens honor the town’s 37 residents who died at the World Trade Center. Prior to Sunday's memorial service—which will include local community groups, officials and clergy—a flag display will be installed to honor the fallen. Flag banners will be posted on telephone poles along Kings Highway, Church Street and Middletown-Lincroft Road.

9-11 Memorial Coalition's Memorial Ride

Time: Sunday at 8 a.m.

Location: Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Co. 2311, Route 54, Montgomery, PA.

This 37-mile escorted memorial ride will pass through six different towns. The ride is free to all, but donations are accepted with monies raised to benefit local volunteer first responders who are injured or were killed in the line of duty. The event is open to the public but registration is required. For more information,  call Tank Baird at 570-244-6153.

9-11 Memorial of Maryland Dedication

Time: Sunday, 3 p.m.

Location: World Trade Center Plaza, 401 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD

Gov. Martin O’Malley will mark the dedication of the 9-11 Memorial of Maryland, honoring the heroism, commitment and sacrifice of 9-11 victims, rescuers and their families. The dedication will pay tribute to the Marylanders who lost their lives that day. This event is open to the public. For more information, call 410-767-6555.

Fire Department of New York City Memorial Service

Time: Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.

Location: St. Patrick's Cathedral, 460 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10126

A memorial service will be held at St. Patrick's Cathedral honoring the 343 New York Fire Department members who perished on Sept. 11, 2011 at the World Trade Center. The 343 honor families will be given priority seating inside the cathedral, located on 5th Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets. Both 50th and 51st streets will be closed to vehicular traffic between Madison and Fifth Avenues. Large TV monitors on 50th and 51st Streets will simulcast the ceremony.

Flags of Honor

Time: Friday through Monday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Location: NYC Memorial Field, at Battery Park Battery Place and State and Whitehall streets in New York, NY

Three thousand flags will be displayed in Battery Park Field to honor the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. The banners, known as Flags of Honor, each measure 3 feet by 5 feet and feature red and blue rows of the names of those who were killed. This event is free and will be open to the public, with no reservation required. For more information, call 203-863-9161.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?