New Jersey commemorated the twelfth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and on United Flight 93 that took the lives of over 700 residents with a number of ceremonies both in and out of state.Several moving tributes took place this morning in Ocean County to honor the lives lost on 9/11/01.  In Downtown Toms River, Ocean County officials held their annual remembrance ceremony near the Ocean County memorial in the Hooper Avenue courtyard of monuments.

Toms River 9/11 ceremony
Toms River 9/11 ceremony (Jason Allentoff, Townsquare Media NJ)
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Hundreds turned out for the event but only a handful of the general public.  Most of the attendees were county government employees and political officials.  During the ceremony, those walking to the Courthouse or Prosecutor's Office stopped briefly to pay their respects and then continued on.

19 Ocean County residents died that day.  The names were read aloud by Freeholder Director Jack Kelly.

A vocal ensemble of high schoolers from the Ocean County Vocational Technical School performed patriotic songs, while a ladder truck from one of the local fire companies had a giant American flag nearby.

Wreaths were laid at the memorials as well.

Freeholder Director Kelly says "we should and we will never forget. There's no way. The events were horrific and America was attacked.  Future generations will learn about this and these people will be remembered."

Later this morning, Toms River Fire Company 1 held a ceremony outside their firehouse on Robbins Street.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie attended the ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York with his family. "The events of that day united us as Americans to show the world the power of our strength and resolve to overcome unspeakable evil. Just as we did on September 11, 2001, we continue to display today and every day the patriotism that defines us as New Jerseyans and as Americans," posted the Governor on his Facebook page.

Christie also issued Executive Order No. 139 ordering all state buildings to fly flags at half-staff to "recognize and mourn the thousands of lives lost in the September 11th attacks."  He  also issued a proclamation marking September 11, 2013 as “Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance” throughout New Jersey.

Senator Robert Menendez (D) recalled 9/11 and said of the , "let us resolve never to forget them, and let us come together again as we did that day, one nation indivisible, each of us working for the betterment of all of us.”

 

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