As the 17th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attack approaches, lawmakers and military leaders in Southwest Brooklyn are busy finalizing plans to hold ceremonies to commemorate the event and pay tribute to the thousands of victims who lost their lives on that horrific day in the nation’s history.
The U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Hamilton, the only active military base in New York City, will hold a pre-Sept. 11 remembrance on Friday, Sept. 7. The ceremony will take place at the flagpole on the fort’s grounds at 11 a.m. A moment of silence will be observed and retreat will be played on a bugle.
Fort Hamilton is located in Bay Ridge.
State Sen. Martin Golden, a Republican representing a swath of Brooklyn from Bay Ridge through Bensonhurst and Gravesend to Gerritsen Beach and Marine Park, will host two events to mark the sad anniversary.
Golden is organizing a ceremony in Marine Park and another in Bay Ridge at the American Veterans Memorial Pier, also known as the 69th Street Pier, on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 11 to remember the day, 17 years ago, when terrorists hijacked jumbo jets and crashed the planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing thousands of people.
Sept. 11 was also the day brave passengers aboard United Flight 93 fought to gain access to the cockpit of their hijacked plane to prevent the terrorists from crashing the airliner into another target. That plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all aboard.
Golden’s first event will take place in front of the flagpole in Marine Park at 3000 Fillmore Ave. at 6 p.m.
Following that commemoration, Golden will go to Bay Ridge to host a ceremony and candlelight vigil at the 69th Street Pier at 7:30 p.m.
The pier is a fitting place to hold a Sept. 11 remembrance, according to Golden.
Jutting out onto New York Harbor, the pier offers an unencumbered view of the skyline of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. It is also the place that hundreds Bay Ridge residents flocked to on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 to get a glimpse of the tragic events unfolding at the World Trade Center.
In the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, the pier became a focal point of plans to commemorate the day. A group of elected officials and business leaders organized a committee to come up with a proper memorial to Brooklyn’s victims.
Their efforts led to the 2005 dedication of a 25-foot-high sculpture in the shape of a firefighter’s bugle. Created by artist Richard Ressler, the sculpture stands in the center of the pier. In the 19th century, firefighters used bugles to sound the alarm and warn people of a fire.
Golden has hosted a ceremony at the 69th Street Pier each year on the anniversary of Sept. 11.
“Each year on September 11,, it is important we gather as a community to remember those we have lost and further strengthen our resolve that we will never forget the tragic events that occurred that day. More than 3,000 innocent people lost their lives and sadly more continue to die each day due to 9/11-related illnesses. Consequently, the sorrow, the pain and community impact is as prevalent as it was 17 years ago. Although it may be difficult, we must continue these community vigils to ensure that we will never forget,” Golden said in a statement.
There will be a moment of silence at both ceremonies hosted by Golden. The Bay Ridge event will also feature a 21-gun salute to the military members, police officers and firefighters killed on Sept. 11.
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