As solemn an occasion as it was, I was pleased to be in attendance at yesterday’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Gloucester Fire Department Headquarters. Gloucester’s Police, Fire Dept., Coast Guard, Harbormaster, Veteran’s Services, City Officials, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, and the Gloucester Division of the Navy Sea Cadets (including my son, Thatcher) gathered for a short ceremony led by Fire Chief Smith. The ceremony included remarks from the Chief, a prayer by Chaplain Peter Aberle of the Orthodox Congregational Church in Lanesville, a symbolic “5-5-5-5” alarm on the ceremonial fire bell, and a powerful moment of silence.
All in attendance were invited to City Hall for a reception afterwards, thanks to the Mayor’s office and the Gloucester Fire Department’s Women’s Auxiliary as well as donations from Jim’s Bagels & Bake Shoppe, The Caffe Sicilia, and Virgilio’s.
A special display was open for viewing by those in attendance thanks to Gloucester residents Dan Leahy, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War who was working for the Port Authority at the World Trade Center at the time of both the 1993 and 2001 terror attacks, and Brenda Leahy.
If you were not able to attend yesterday’s ceremony, maybe make a point of attending next year. It is an important tradition for the City to continue to honor those whose lives were lost due to the attacks on September 11, 2001 and also to show our great appreciation and respect to current first responders.
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