ATHOL — The Fire Department will hold a Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony on Tuesday starting at 9 a.m. at the Veterans Park at the corner of Main and Exchange streets. It will be held at the uptown fire station if the weather is bad.
The ceremony will commemorate all those who perished in the 2001 terrorist attacks on American soil. A total of 2,996 people were killed: 265 on the four planes involved (two planes in New York, and one each in Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania) and included the 19 terrorist hijackers. A total of 2,606 people died at and around the World Trade Center, 125 died at the Pentagon and more than 6,000 others were injured.
The opening prayer for the ceremony will be led by Chaplain Dan Parsons, followed by the Police Officers’ Prayer, the Firefighters’ Prayer and a description of the events. The “Last Call” on the fire bell will be rung, followed by the lowering of the U.S. flag. There will be a moment of silence and closing prayer. The ceremony is open to the public.
A number of police and fire personnel from Athol and Orange were in attendance at last year’s Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony held at Veterans Park in Athol.