By Terry Wright Hunterdon County Democrat
Hampton Fire Company dedicated its 9/11 Sundial Memorial, which includes steel from the World Trade Center, on Saturday. Terry Wright/Hunterdon County Democrat
HAMPTON — Hampton Fire Company dedicated 9/11 Sundial Memorial, which includes steel from the World Trade Center, on Saturday morning.
Joining the volunteer firefighters in the ceremonies were members of the Hampton Emergency Squad, some of whom went to Ground Zero immediately follow[ing] the attacks on the twin towers in 2001.
Georgia Cudina of Lebanon Township assisted with the unveiling ceremony. Her husband Richard, who was 46, was among the victims. He worked as a bond broker for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of the North Tower.
Keynote speaker was Congressman Leonard Lance of Clinton Township. The victims of the 9/11 attack were killed by enemies, just like those killed on the battlefield, he noted. New Jersey lost more than 700 residents in the attack, he said.
Lance mentioned the many connections his family has with Hampton. His father, Wesley Lance, graduated from Hampton High School in 1923.
Also speaking were Mayor James Cregar and Assemblyman Erik Peterson, who read a proclamation from Gov. Christie. Fire Company President Rob Walton, who is also a county Freeholder, served as master of ceremonies.
Two pieces of steel from one of the towers make up the gnomon of the sundial, the part that casts the shadow, Walton explained. The dial plate is the tops [sic] of the Pentagon-shaped wall surrounding the steel. The brick pavers covering the ground show a depiction of the Twin Towers and the number 93, for the flight number of the plan[e] that crashed in Shanksville, Pa., he said.
Rather than hours around the dial, there are four markers, for 8:46, 9:03, 9:37 and 10:03 a.m., when the towers, the Pentagon and lastly the field in Pennsylvania were hit. The memorial, Walton said, should remember [sic] all “to treasure time.”
The Rev. Michael Saharic of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in town gave the invocation and benediction, and the church Bagpipe Band performed. Brittany Hill sang the National Anthem, joined by her sister Brianna Hill for American [sic] and God Bless America. Bugler Earl Fahnestock, of the organization Taps for Veterans, played Taps.
Besides borough residents, a number of local and county official attended, including Mayor Paul Muir of neighboring Bethlehem Township, which also lost a resident in the attacks.
Tom Carpenter, a member of the fire company for 44 years, presented plans for the memorial’s concept to the Borough Council at its meeting in February 2012 and since then the 9/11 Memorial Committee arranged donations and getting it created. It’s in Veterans Park on Main Street, near the firehouse.
To raise funds, bricks were sold, engraved with names or short messages from the donors. They are still available; for details contact Carpenter at 908-537-4521.
