Jersey City leaders, police, firefighters and community members honored the 39 Jersey City residents who never made it home after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, across the Hudson River.
They gathered Thursday at the city’s 9/11 memorial, a sculpture of twisted steel salvaged from Ground Zero that stands on the ground where first responders back then set up a triage center to care for those escaping lower Manhattan.
“I followed a column of smoke and saw what happened. At the time I was on a FEMA-style rescue team and after what I witnessed, I knew we were going to be mobilized, and I responded to the New Jersey State police Urban Search and Rescue Team and then we mobilized and within hours we were operating at Ground Zero for 10 days,” recalled Jersey City Fire Chief Richard Gorman.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said he was in lower Manhattan when the World Trade Center towers were struck and it caused him to enlist in the Marine Corps. “I left my job at Goldman Sachs to serve my country. Everybody who lives in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut knows someone who was impacted.”
Family and friends threw wreaths and flowers into the Hudson River during the annual memorial ceremony. People said showing up each year is about making sure the memory of those who were killed lives on.
Fidel Hernandez, a Jersey City resident, said, “It’s still emotional. It’s PTSD. I saw the buildings burning on fire. It’s very raw still.”
At the Hyatt Regency Jersey City hotel, close by the memorial, the focus turned from remembering the past to saving lives today. Jersey City police and fire services teamed up with the Red Cross for an annual 9/11 blood drive.
Diane Concannon, director of communications with American Red Cross New Jersey Region, said, “We got more than 200 appointments today. … This is our eleventh year and it’s in partnership with Suburban Propane. We give people the opportunity to give back and donate blood and reflect, and remember the people who lost their lives and those who rushed in to help people. The first responders here in Jersey City played a vital role in helping those who were affected by the attacks.”
The blood drive has become a tradition, bringing together first responders, survivors and community members. Donors say it’s not just about saving lives, but also about reflecting on the unity and resilience that carried people through Sept. 11.
“I mean today, September 11th, being able to see the lights and the memorial and looking at One World Trade Center every day, it’s a constant reminder there that it used to be different. This is one thing people can do that’s super simple to show up, lay here, low effort, but it does make a huge impact,” said Jesse Teeters, a Jersey City resident and blood donor.
