Berkshire County to Mark 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Terror Attacks
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There are several memorials marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 occurring in Berkshire County on Friday.
The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were carried out by al-Qaida terrorists who hijacked four planes, two of which hit the World Trade Center and one which crashed into the Pentagon. Passengers on the fourth were able to prevent the terrorists from completing their objective, believed to be Washington, D.C., and crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
American Airlines Flight 11, hijacked after leaving Logan Airport, crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. Ninety-two people were on board.
The second plane, United Flight 175, hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. with 65 people on board, including the Rev. Francis E. Grogan, a graduate of the former St. Joseph's High School in Pittsfield, and Peter Goodrich, who was raised in Williamstown.
A total of 2,753 were killed in the crashes and the subsequent collapse of the World Trade Center. Total casualties that day were 2,977, not including the 19 hijackers.
Most were civilians, but 344 New York firefighters and 71 law enforcement officers were killed at the Twin Towers; 55 military personnel were killed at the Pentagon and a U.S. Fish & Wildlife officer who was on the fourth plane, United Flight 93, when it came down.
• The North Adams Fire Department will hold a brief ceremony at 8:46 a.m., the time the first tower was hit, at the fire station on American Legion Drive. Mount Williams last month donated flowers to spruce up the small garden area in preparation for the event.
This will be at the Iraq and Afghanistan memorial dedicated in 2020 to the servicemen who served and the five Berkshire County residents who died during the Global War on Terror that followed the attacks.
• The Great Barrington Fire Department will unveil a permanent memorial to the tragedy at the fire station at 6 p.m. The department was able to receive a piece of steel from the Twin Towers that will stand in front of the station.
Gov. Maura Healey is directing flags across Massachusetts to be lowered to half-staff and calling on residents, schools, businesses and organizations to observe a statewide moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. on Friday. The State House will also be illuminated red, white and blue on the evenings of Sept.10 and 11.
This year's commemoration, held in partnership with the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund will begin at 8:35 a.m. on the front steps of the State House with state and Boston officials. The commemoration will continue in the House Chamber with the presentation of the Madeline "Amy" Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery which honors the legacy of Massachusetts native and American Airlines flight attendant Sweeney, whose bravery on Sept. 11 helped provide authorities with critical information about the hijacking of Flight 11.
Retired Major Gen. Jonathan Treacy will also deliver remarks. On 9/11, he was a lieutenant colonel commanding the 101st Fighter Squadron at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, which provided the initial air defense response over New York City. Massachusetts students will also meet with 9/11 family members at the State House to hear directly about the people they lost, their memories of Sept. 11 and the lessons they hope future generations will carry forward.
Commemorations will continue throughout the day, including the annual wreath laying at the Boston Public Garden 9/11 Memorial and the 25th anniversary of the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony at Ashburton Park.
Gov. Maura Healey is directing flags across Massachusetts to be lowered to half-staff and calling on residents, schools, businesses and organizations to observe a statewide moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. on Friday. The State House will also be illuminated red, white and blue on the evenings of Sept.10 and 11.
This year's commemoration, held in partnership with the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund will begin at 8:35 a.m. on the front steps of the State House with state and Boston officials. The commemoration will continue in the House Chamber with the presentation of the Madeline "Amy" Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery which honors the legacy of Massachusetts native and American Airlines flight attendant Sweeney, whose bravery on Sept. 11 helped provide authorities with critical information about the hijacking of Flight 11.
Retired Major Gen. Jonathan Treacy will also deliver remarks. On 9/11, he was a lieutenant colonel commanding the 101st Fighter Squadron at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, which provided the initial air defense response over New York City. Massachusetts students will also meet with 9/11 family members at the State House to hear directly about the people they lost, their memories of Sept. 11 and the lessons they hope future generations will carry forward.
Commemorations will continue throughout the day, including the annual wreath laying at the Boston Public Garden 9/11 Memorial and the 25th anniversary of the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony at Ashburton Park.
