The ever-present overcast grey sky and the steady shower of raindrops which followed could not extinguish the goodwill and solemn remembrance shown by those in attendance for the Borough of Belmar’s September 11th Memorial Ceremony on Sunday morning, held at 9 a.m. at Monument Row, at 12th Avenue and Main Street.
The ceremony opened with a march from Dempsey Park, located at 16th Avenue and Railroad Avenue, to Monument Row.
In attendance for the march and attired in full regalia were members of the Belmar Fire Department, Irvington Fire Department, Avon-By-The-Sea Fire Department #1 and the Belmar Police Department, along with members of the Friendly Sons of Shillelagh. The Friendly Sons had a detachment of pipe and drum players providing accompanying music for the march.
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Ed Hunter, a member of the Friendly Sons thanked everyone for attending the march, and pointed out several steel artifacts placed on the back of a fire truck from the Goodwill Hose Company of Belmar; one was a makeshift plaque, while another was a steel model replica of the World Trade Center – however, these artifacts weren’t made with just any steel.
“These objects you see were fashioned from steel at the World Trade Center site,” Hunter explained.
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Hunter made a brief statement regarding the solemnity of the ceremony, followed by a moment of silence and an Irish prayer. With that, those assembled began their march down to Monument Row, and the constant rain did nothing to diminish the formality and honor which the marchers carried with them.
Arriving at the memorial site, the marchers were greeted by a small group of umbrella-carrying citizens, Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and other local officials.
Doherty introduced the ceremony by saying that the fallen on September 11 were not just police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers, but “everyday people” who were just at work or on a plane.
A trio of wreaths were laid at the Fireman’s Memorial, the first by the Belmar First Aid and Council President Claire Deicke, the second by Chief Tom Palmisano and members of the Belmar Police Department, and the third by Joe Rizzitello, chief of Belmar’s all-volunteer Fire Department.
Continuing, Doherty asked all citizens to observe moments of silence throughout the morning, at each particular signifying when the airplanes struck the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and the open field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as well as when each tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.
Doherty also called attention to the ongoing wars overseas, sparked since the events of September 11.
“We must also remember our servicemen and women fighting all over the world in the years since 9/11; some of them are Belmar residents,” the mayor stated.
In closing, Doherty thanked the town’s police and fire departments, first aid squad, the Friendly Sons of Shillelagh and everyone who attended the memorial ceremony. Afterwards, those in attendance were invited back to the Goodwill Hose Company firehouse on 7th Avenue, to enjoy breakfast, refreshments, and one another’s company.
