BY ANN GENADER
WEST MILFORD ‑ It doesn’t get any easier for those who faithfully go to the 9/11 Memorial in front of the Township of West Milford Municipal Building each year to remember and honor those who lost their lives when the nation was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. The five people with connections to the township who died that day and the First Responders to Ground Zero from West Milford in the days that followed remain in the hearts of many.
The five were: Jeremy Glick, Rev. Mychal Judge, TJ Hargrave, Jean C. DePalma and Michael Zinzi.
“Let us continue to pay tribute to and pray for the souls of those who lost their lives and additionally, the families they left behind,” said Mayor Bettina Bieri. “Honor them by remembering that we all have the opportunity to be extraordinary people living ordinary lives. Take time to lend a helping hand – whether locally or to those that have been recent victims of Mother Nature’s fury – assist the elderly or disabled, thank a veteran, care for the sick, house the homeless, feed the hungry, or simply put a smile on a child’s face. It is what makes West Milford and the United States of America such a special place to live. It is what changes ordinary people into extraordinary people. I urge you all to pay tribute to the victims by making every day an extraordinary day. In so doing, let us never forget.”
On the fateful day of Sept. 11, 2001, the world stood shocked, speechless and apprehensive.
“We were trying to comprehend the events that had transpired on what started out to be a beautiful, sunny, late summer morning. Rescue workers bravely climbed up the Twin Towers, not knowing the Towers would soon collapse and crumble,” recalled the mayor. “Even after the collapse, they continued to search for those who were injured or missing, despite the peril, despite the horror, despite the devastation, and despite the massive loss of human life. Friends, fellow Americans and visitors perished that day. The unimaginable emotional toll, fellow Americans, and the physical destruction remain evident today.
As she read the five names of those connected with West Milford, Bieri asked that people remember their faces, their lives, their stories and their heroic sacrifices. She asked that they be commemorated. The mayor said the five people were extraordinary individuals.