HUDSON – On Monday, Sept. 11, Marlborough and Hudson joined the rest of the nation in commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
In front of the Hudson fire station on Cox Street, members of the fire and police departments joined about a dozen others in honoring those who lost their lives on that day.
The department’s main entrance is flanked by two memorials – a piece of girder from one of the Twin Towers, and a firefighters’ memorial dedicated on Sept. 11, 2006.
The ceremony began with the ringing of the “5-5-5” signal, which honors firefighters who died in the line of duty.
Fire Chief Bryan Johannes led the ceremony, which included the firefighter prayer.
“We continue our pledge to never forget,” he said.
It marked the fifth time Johannes presided over the ceremony as chief; it was also his last, as he recently announced his retirement.
Police Chief Richard DiPersio recited the police officers’ prayer; there was also a prayer from Father Jason Giombetti of St. Michael’s Church.
In Marlborough, the anniversary was marked with the planting of hundreds of American flags on the lawn of the Walker Building. In front of the building, the city posted a sign – “Marlborough Never Forgets, 9-11-01.”
On Sept. 11, 2001, 343 New York City firefighters died in the line of duty, as did 37 Port Authority police officers and 23 New York City police officers. In addition, more than 3,000 individuals were killed during the attacks.
