9/11

LEOMINSTER — The sixth annual 9/11 veterans and active-duty military ceremony and barbecue will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Johnny Ro Veterans Memorial Park at 720 Mechanic St.

“Every year we hold this event is special,” said park President Diane Beaudoin. “This year being the 20th anniversary (of the 9/11 attacks) almost seems surreal. So many lives were lost in these past two decades, with Massachusetts just having to add another name last week. It’s a small way for us to honor each and every one, letting families know their hero will never be forgotten.”

Beaudoin helps to organize the yearly event, which was not held last year due to the pandemic. It is free to veterans and their families as well as active-duty military members from all surrounding cities and towns, and she said the Roberge family and park committee invite any and all veterans and active-duty members to attend.

“We have had World War II vets, Korea, Vietnam, right up to current day,” Beaudoin said. “Many vets have made new friends at a previous cookout, some for support and some for camaraderie, that only a military person would understand.”

The Johnny Ro Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated on Sept. 12, 2015, to honor all Massachusetts Afghanistan and Iraq military casualties, six years after 22-year-old Army Pvt. 1st Class Johnathan Roberge was killed while serving in Iraq.

Beaudoin, a former longtime Leominster resident who now lives in Lunenburg with her husband, was voted to be park president during construction of the park, which was completed entirely with volunteer labor.

“John Roberge, Johnny Ro’s dad, wanted a park to commemorate all fallen from Massachusetts, not just his son,” she said. “We worked every weekend from spring to end of fall and it took us six years to complete what you see today.”

Beaudoin said that in past years they have hosted well over 100 people “from all walks of life who enjoy seeing the park and first-time visitors” for the 9/11 event.

“We do a tour and explain how the park was built, and what everything on the grounds mean,” she said. “We still feel the presence of Big John Roberge there, and we made a promise to always make him and Pauline Roberge proud of any events we host in their son’s honor.”

The ceremony will honor those lost on 9/11 as well as lost Massachusetts military with a bell rung 20 times, as well as with a speech by Mayor Dean Mazzarella and the presentation of military colors.

“Our veterans service officer, Richard Voutour, always puts a great and meaningful program in place,” Beaudoin said.

Fitchburg resident Alan Swartz will sing the national anthem.

“As a veteran, I am filled with pride to sing the anthem of our country meant to inspire a sense of unity,” Swartz said. “We are still the greatest nation on earth and I reflect on the ultimate sacrifice so many have made to keep our nation free and the many stationed at home and abroad who put their lives on the line every day to ensure our continued freedom.”

Food offerings following the ceremony will include hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, salads, desserts and soft drinks donated each year by Pepsi.

“We work hard to get as much as we can donated to help us defray our costs but as a group, we all pitch in to make sure we do it right,” Beaudoin said. “The Leominster Fire Department steps up every year to help with the setup, break down, and cooking, and the firefighters’ wives make all of our salads.”

Beaudoin is also involved with Operation Service, a local organization that provides hundreds of free Christmas trees to veterans and service men and women every holiday season and will financially sponsor a dog tag wall to come to the park next spring. She said that everything in the park has meaning to the military, including the tank, which was sent by the Army after Jonathan Roberge died, and which was completely restored with new paint and emblems.

“The blast walls resemble the walls that the soldiers built around their camps, so we recreated them in smaller fashion,” Beaudoin said. “When a soldier dies, they paint their names on the wall in bright yellow. We took it one step further and attained permission from the families to put the fallen heroes photos on the opposite wall. This is what makes it a one-of-a-kind memorial park.”

The four field crosses on the walkway to the tank are for the four military members, including Jonathan Roberge, who were killed by a roadside bomb on Feb. 9, 2009.

“The Johnny Ro Park is a very symbolic spot in Leominster for people to come, visit, look around, and learn more about Jonathan,” Beaudoin said. “Many times, we have gone to do some cleanup work or make plans for something, and we will find people taking photos and asking questions. Many times, we have found members of the current military standing between the two blast walls reflecting on their brothers and sisters that have fallen. We always respect their privacy, and if they want to talk to us, we allow all the time they need.”

Beaudoin said it was the late John Roberge’s idea to hold an annual 9/11 event at his son’s park for all service men and women “to help ease the pain of that day in 2001 and to show our appreciation to them all.”

“Also, it helps to remember our Massachusetts fallen heroes and a way to honor their sacrifice,” she said. “We had to cancel last year but decided this year we would go ahead with it. Being the 20th anniversary and all, we as the committee felt it was important to mark this solemn occasion.”

LOWELL — Never forget, no matter how many years pass.

The UMass Lowell community will not. That was the message delivered Thursday morning during an emotional ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The event was held at UML’s memorial to the seven members of the university’s community who perished that day.

“None of us will ever know the pain you feel on a day like this. But we can stand here with you,” said UML Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, looking out at a gathering that included members of victims’ families. “When we come together we can find grace.”

The circular-shaped memorial, called “Unity,” carries the names of those with ties to UML who died on that tragic day: Douglas Gowell (Class of 1971) of Methuen; Robert Hayes ’86 of Amesbury; Brian Kinney ’95 of Lowell; John Ogonowski ’72 of Dracut; Patrick Quigley IV of Wellesley, the husband of UML graduate Patricia Quigley ’86; Billerica native Jessica Leigh Sachs, daughter of alumni Stephen and Karen Sachs ’69; and Christopher Zarba ’79 of Hopkinton.

Ogonowski was the pilot of American Airlines Flight 11.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since the tragic day of Sept. 11, 2001. Like most Americans I can remember when I heard the news,” U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan said.

In the days that followed, emotions ran high, with the attack evoking fear, horror, sorrow and rage.

The terrorists “sought to divide us,” Trahan said. “But those efforts failed.”

The memorial was dedicated in 2004 and rededicated in 2011 to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy. It’s located on the banks of the Merrimack River on the university’s East Campus on land occupied by UML, the city and the Lowell National Historical Park.

Time flows on, as the Merrimack did a short distance from the podium where remarks were made. But it’s everyone’s responsibility to not forget “one of the darkest days in U.S. history. It’s a day we will never forget,” said state Sen. Ed Kennedy, D-Lowell, a former Lowell city councilor and mayor.

Kennedy noted that many of the UML students who walked past the proceedings on their way to class were infants, or not even born, on Sept. 11, 2001.

Unlike that day, which was a breathtakingly beautiful morning, Thursday morning featured gray skies. Light rain fell late in the program.

State Rep. Thomas Golden, D-Lowell, a UML graduate, paid tribute to the seven members of the UML community who were part of “our family.”

“People tried to turn this country against each other. But the opposite happened. Our country was never stronger. Our country was never more committed to each other,” said Golden, his voice cracking with emotion at the end of his remarks.

A total of 2,977 people were killed in the terrorist attacks and more than 6,000 others were injured.

National Park Service acting Deputy Regional Director Celeste Bernardo said it’s the National Park’s duty to be the country’s “storytellers.”

But what story can you tell survivors who continue to mourn their loved ones 20 years later? What words of comfort can be found? Monuments and memorials around the country, including “Unity,” in Lowell, pay tribute to lost loved ones.

“How do we make sure your loved ones are remembered and never forgotten?” Bernardo asked.

The nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks “will be remembered long after we are gone,” she said.

Putting a personal touch on the event, background information was provided for each of the seven victims with UML ties.

Gowell loved music. Hayes featured a year-round tan and could often be found boating on the ocean. Kinney pumped gas to help out his family business. Ogonowski loved working on his Dracut farm. Quigley was an avid wine collector. Sachs was known for her charitable works in the community. Zarba was a talented painter.

The UMass Lowell Chamber Singers and music students performed music. The event ended with student Cristian Ramos Delgado, a Methuen native, singing a gorgeous rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”