Politics & Government

Aurora to Mark Anniversary of 9/11

The City of Aurora will mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a remembrance ceremony to honor families who lost loved ones and acknowledge the bravery of emergency responders during the tragedy.

The ceremony will be held at Aurora’s Central Fire Station.

Darien resident Tom Jones, who was in the Trade Center’s South Tower for meetings in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, will speak about his decision to leave the building as a precautionary measure after seeing the destruction from the first plane impact of the North Tower. He was in a crowded stairwell around the 36th floor when the second plane hit the South Tower.

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The ceremony also will honor the four Marines who attended Aurora high schools who died serving the country in the War on Terror in Iraq.

The soldiers include Captain Timothy Louis Ryan, 30, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron – 364 Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing who died in 2003; Lance Corporal Hector Ramos, 20, Company C, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, who died in 2005; Private Edwardo Junior Lopez, 21, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, who died in 2006; and Lance Corporal Jesse Dan DeLaTorre, 29, Headquarters & Service Co., 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, who died in 2007.

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The Aurora Fire Department Honor Guard will perform a flag folding ceremony and give each family of the fallen soldiers with a flag.

The West Aurora High School Madrigals will perform the national anthem,  and the East Aurora High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, bag pipes and a 21-gun salute.

Mayor Tom Weisner, Fire Chief Hal Carlson, Police Chief Greg Thomas, Police Chaplain Father Jerome Leake and Fire Chaplain Gerald Rygh will speak at the ceremony.

Refreshments will be served after the event concludes.

In case of inclement weather, the 9/11 ceremony will be moved inside the Central Fire Station Garage.

 The Aurora Fire Department Museum will host an open house following the ceremony to showcase a special 9/11 exhibit, “Ground Level: September 11-14.” The exhibit consists of more than a dozen photographs from New York City Sanitation employees Tom Pasquarelli and Vincent Piccolo and crane operator Steve Bova surveying the aftermath of destruction.

The Museum also will highlight how the 9/11 tragedy impacted Aurora.  One display case spotlights Aurora firefighters responding to New York as part of a national rescue and relief effort while another section features mementos from residents grieving and reacting with a flurry of patriotism.

The “Ground Level” photos and 9/11 artifacts will be on display through Saturday, Oct. 1.  The Museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.

RSVPs are encouraged.


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