SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL PLANNED AT NEW BERN FIREMEN’S MUSEUM

Although 24 years have passed, it is a day that should, and will, never be forgotten. On September 11, 2001, our nation suffered a heartbreaking and horrific event when terrorists attacked the United States in three locations. The loss of 2,977 innocent men, women, and children of every culture, background, age, and race was difficult to comprehend, and this devastating experience has had a lasting impact on every American who will remember that day for decades to come.

The New Bern Firemen’s Museum invites the community to honor the heroes who selflessly faced the unthinkable that day to save lives, as well as to remember the lives tragically lost in the Twin Towers of New York, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and in a field in Shanksville, PA.

“This tragedy has instilled a sense of togetherness among firefighters and first responders, as well as a spirit of unity among Americans. We here at the New Bern Firemen’s Museum want to hold the memory of this day near and dear to our hearts,” explained James McConnell, President of the Museum Board and Division Chief of the New Bern Fire Department. “We hope the community will join us to remember and revere this event on Thursday, September 11, at 8:30 a.m. at the Museum’s Memorial Monument, 420 Broad Street, in New Bern,” he said. The program will begin at 8:45 a.m., the time of the first plane crash into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A presentation of the colors, speakers who will recognize the significance of this day’s history, the playing of bagpipes as a traditional part of firefighter funerals, and the ringing of the Last Alarm Bell will complete the planned agenda.

The Memorial Monument recognizes the innocent victims of the attacks that day. It consists of two granite towers, standing ten feet above the ground to represent the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Between the towers is a granite sculpture of a fireman’s helmet displaying a badge with the number “343” atop a pair of fireman’s boots, signifying the 343 firefighters and heroes at the Pentagon and in Shanksville that perished that day.

Since 1955, the New Bern Firemen’s Museum has offered visitors and citizens of New Bern a unique experience on the rich history of firefighting in New Bern, the first chartered fire company in the state of North Carolina. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., from March through December, the Firemen’s Museum is open to the public as well as available for groups, school, and private tours of 6 to 20 by scheduled appointment. Admission is $7.00 for adults, $4.00 for students, and children under five are free.