WESTFIELD – “Never forget” is the phrase commonly used to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and for residents of Westfield and Southwick, they hold true.
Both communities have held remembrance ceremonies every Sept. 11 since that fateful day when terrorists attacked Americans on their own soil. Thousands were killed, including three Westfield residents, when two airplanes flew into the World Trade Center towers and another hit the Pentagon. Still others were killed when a hijacked plane was downed by quick-acting passengers.
At 4 p.m. Friday, Mayor Daniel Knapik will be joined by the families of the Westfield natives who fell victim to the attacks with a wreath laying at the 9/11 monument, located at the head of North Elm Street, across from the Westwood Building at 94 North Elm St.
Westfield’s own Tara Shea-Creamer, Brian Murphy, and Daniel Trant were all killed in the attacks. Creamer was aboard American Airlines Flight 11 that hit Tower One, while Trant and Murphy worked in the towers.
State Rep. John Velis will be the featured speaker at the annual Sons of Erin 9/11 remembrance ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Irish club on William Street. The SOE is home to a second monument to the Westfield victims.
Velis said he was “honored and humbled” to speak at the event.
“The fact that the City of Westfield lost three of our own is moving and makes it all the more important to stop and remember the lives we lost,” said Velis. “They were members of our community and it’s our duty to remember.”
Velis called the terrorist attacks “an act of war” and said “our very way of life was impacted. It truly changed the course of history and put us on a path of 15 years of war.”
Velis noted that there are not very many communities the size of Westfield that lost three members in the attacks, and Westfield has gone above and beyond to remember 9/11.
“Westfield truly does go above and beyond – we have three events to commemorate Sept. 11 – that speaks volume about this tightknit community,” he said.
The City of Westfield also commemorates the anniversary of the attack with a ceremony at Westfield Fire Department Headquarters on Broad Street. Southwick Fire Department also hosts an annual remembrance ceremony to honor the fallen firefighters who responded to the attack.
Southwick Fire Chief Richard Anderson said it is a sad day for the firefighting community.
“With 343 firemen deaths, that’s not something we can or should forget,” Anderson said of the men and women firefighters who died trying to save people that day. “It wanes as times goes on, but it was a significant event for the fire service – probably the most significant in history.”
Westfield Fire’s ceremony is at 9:45 a.m. and Southwick Fire’s is at 9:55 a.m. at Fire Headquarters on Depot Street.
