[broadstreet zone=”52386″]
FRAMINGHAM – The City of Framingham held a “private” ceremony at Cushing Memorial Park to mark the 19th anniversary of September 11.
The City of Framingham did not publicize the 10:30 a.m. ceremony due to COVID-19.
The only spectators were those who happened to be at the park, walking, running, or cycling.
On September 11, 2001, 19 individuals associated with al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, more than 25,000 injuries.
9/11 is the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States, with 343 and 72 killed, respectively.
[broadstreet zone=”58610″]
Seventeen who died that day had ties to Framingham. They were Christine Barbuto, Neilie Casey, Tara Shea Creamer, Linda George, Lisa Fenn Gordenstein, Paige Farley-Hackel, Todd Hill, Herb Homer, Robin Kaplan, Barbara Keating, Judy Larocque, Susan Mackay, Laura Lee Morabito, Charlie Murphy, Darin Pontell, Meta Fuller Walker and John J. Wenckus. Several of those who died were employees of TJX Companies.
Today, Framingham Deputy Police Chief Victor Pereira and Framingham Fire Chief Michael Dutcher read the names of the 17.
City of Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer did not attend the ceremony today.
Her office released this statement — “Due to COVID-19, we are unable to gather as a community to remember this solemn occasion,” said Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer. “However, we will never forget the loss of the 2,977 lives – 17 of which were our own – resulting from the attacks 19 years ago. Today we pay tribute to the individuals who were injured or lost their lives, our brave first-responders who risked their lives to save others, and our armed forces who continue to defend freedom.”
The City of Framingham will televised the ceremony today, September 11, on the Framingham Government Channel available on Comcast
99, RCN 13/HD613, and Verizon 42 at 5 p.m. for the nineteenth anniversary of those who lost their lives in the events of September 11, 2001, including the 17 people with ties to Framingham, said the City in a press release this morning.
[broadstreet zone=”70106″]
The ceremony included the colors by the Framingham Color Guard, a reading of the names on the memorial, a wreath placing, and the playing of Taps by the Framingham Police Department.
The Framingham City Council, and other city & state leaders were not invited to today’s ceremony.
[broadstreet zone=”70107″][broadstreet zone=”58892″]
On September 11, four passenger airliners that had departed from airports in the northeastern United States bound for California were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists.
Two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. Both originated out of Logan Airport in Boston. Within an hour and 42 minutes, both 110-story towers collapsed. Debris and the resulting fires caused a partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the World Trade Center complex, including the 47-story 7 World Trade Center tower, as well as significant damage to ten other large surrounding structures.
A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon (the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense) , which led to a partial collapse of the building’s west side.
The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was initially flown toward Washington, D.C., but crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, after passengers thwarted the hijackers.
[broadstreet zone=”53130″]
***
PHOTOS by Petroni Media Company
The A Cappella Singers 
MetroWest Medical Center