Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. led a solemn and moving ceremony to dedicate the new Flight Crew Memorial at the Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial on the morning of Friday, September 11th. The ceremony was held on the 8th anniversary of the national tragedy and includes a tribute to the 33 pilots and flight attendants who were aboard the four airplanes that were hijacked and crashed on 9-11.
The idea to develop a memorial recognizing the flight crew members was presented to DiVincenzo in April 2009 by West Orange resident Deborah Calimano, a Continental Airlines flight attendant based at Newark Liberty International Airport. At that meeting, the County Executive agreed to construct the memorial and dedicate it on the eighth anniversary of the attacks.
"Our September 11th Memorial is a revered place where family members and friends can find solace and tranquility among the symbolic bronze figures and beautifully manicured lawns. It is a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives and a reminder of the hope and camaraderie that grew from our country’s darkest day," DiVincenzo said. "The addition of the Flight Crew Memorial gives long overdue recognition of the bravery and heroics of the flight crew members aboard the four airplanes. They were on duty that day and should be remembered for their sacrifice," he added.
"The idea for a flight crew memorial has been in my heart for some time and today is a dream come true. If it weren’t for Joe DiVincenzo being the County Executive, this September 11th Memorial would not be here and the Flight Crew Memorial would not be here," Calimano said. "As crew members, we are the emergency personnel on the airplane. Years from now, people will remember the flight crews and what they did that day," she added.
"I applaud Essex County and Joe DiVincenzo for recognizing the importance of the flight crews while we remember all the lives lost on that day," U.S. Senator Robert Menendez said. "By all of us attending this program today, we all resolve to never forget," he added.
"People come to this beautiful site all the time to reflect and find solace. We will continue to come here every year and remember that day its profound effect on our country the same way we come together and remember Pearl Harbor," Congressman Donald Payne said.
"This is a very sacred place that reminds us of a very horrific tragedy. We come back every year so that we will not forget the friends and family no longer with us," Congressman William Pascrell said.
"On the wings of Deborah’s passion and courage, and with the County Executive’s determination, we gather to celebrate the memory of the people who continue to live in our souls," NJ State Senator M. Teresa Ruiz said. "Never for a moment did I think that our country was susceptible to an attack like that, but it renewed our sense of pride," she added.
"As painful as the memories are, we are committed to remember those who lost their lives that day. We all give credit to our County Executive for transforming this outlook area into a tranquil and hallowed ground," Freeholder President Blonnie Watson said. "Today we especially recognize the pilots and flight attendants who served to the end and to Joe DiVincenzo for responding so quickly when he was presented with the idea for the Flight Crew Memorial," she added.
The artist who designed the Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial, Patrick Morelli, was commissioned to create an addition that would blend with the other elements of the site without detracting from its beauty. The flight crew memorial consists of a bronze pilot’s cap resting on a three-foot tall granite pedestal. The names of the pilots and flight attendants are engraved in a section of the granite pedestal below the pilot’s cap. An emblem of airline wings generally worn by all flight crews is engraved in the front of the granite pedestal and "911" is in the center of the emblem where the wings meet.
The flight crew memorial is located in the southern section of the September 11th Memorial near a grove of seven trees that represent each of the sites where the attacks took place. Prismatic Development Corporation of Fairfield, which donated its time and materials to construct the original memorial, volunteered to do the same for the flight crew monument.
Essex County partnered with the Citizens Committee of the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens to enhance the beauty of the site by planting a bed of remontant (reblooming) irises named "Presby Honors September" at the base of the flagpole. The irises were planted on August 29th and will bloom twice a year – in the spring and fall. The Citizens Committee hybridized (or genetically bred) three varieties of remontant irises to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. The three irises are registered with the American Iris Society.
The Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial was first unveiled on October 20, 2002, after the one-year anniversary of the tragedies. The tragedy had a profound effect on Essex County and its residents and, after visiting Eagle Rock Reservation that night, DiVincenzo said he immediately knew it was the right location for a memorial. An aggressive schedule to create the memorial was followed and DiVincenzo led a fund-raising campaign that collected donations from local corporations and residents as well as grants from the New Jersey Green Acres Program and U.S. Forestry Service. Contractors who performed improvements to the site and built the monument donated their time and materials. The original monuments and the Flight Crew Memorial were developed and constructed using donations and in-kind contributions from corporations and members of the public, and no taxpayer dollars were used in the project. Donations can be made out to the Eagle Rock World Trade Center Memorial Fund and mailed to McEnerney and Brady, 293 Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 270, Livingston, NJ 07039.