Remembering 9/11 Amid Coronavirus: Service In Cornelius

CORNELIUS, NC — Over the years, the nation has come together at ceremonies in Cornelius and other U.S. communities to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

However, as the 19th anniversary of the attacks arrives, ceremonies are likely to look different.

To date, more than 6 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting community leaders to put in place extra precautions and enhanced safety measures at these annual events. While some communities are moving events online, others are canceling events out of an abundance of caution.

Cornelius is one of many communities in the region planning 9/11 memorials amid the pandemic.

• Cornelius 9/11 Remembrance Vigil — A Cornelius 9/11 Remembrance Vigil will be held on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. The community is invited to quietly reflect and remember at the site of the Cornelius Never Forget 9/11 Monument located at Fire Station No. 1, 19729 S. Main Street, as members of the Cornelius Fire Department toll a bell marking the key moments of that day. The event is free and open to the public.
• Field of Honor — Over one hundred U.S. flags will stand in solemn formation at Veterans Park (201 Huntersville-Concord Road., Huntersville) from September 8, 2020 through September 22, 2020 as a memorial to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001.
• Charlotte 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb — this annual event will be virtual this year. Event organizers encourage participants to stair climb 9.11K run/walk or workout between 8:46 a.m. and 10:28 a.m. on Sept. 11.
• 9/11 Flags of Remembrance Ceremony — Organizers say: "A reflective memorial ceremony will be held beginning at 8:30 am. The memorial will consist of the tolling of a bell at prominent times of 8:46, 9:03, 9:37, 9:59, 10:03 & 10:28. A steel beam from the WTC will be on display. This years ceremony will be live streamed on our Facebook page and presented by PCR Staffing

Services held at 9/11 attack sites will also look different this year because of the pandemic. Some have already faced a series of hurdles to go on as planned.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to send state health personnel to New York City to provide supervision during the annual "Tribute in Light" ceremony, a commemoration of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Cuomo said staff will be on hand to “ensure this year's tribute is held safely.”

Cuomo's announcement came just days after 9/11 Memorial & Museum officials had nixed the 2020 tribute due to coronavirus concerns.

Now, the focus of the New York City commemoration will be reading the names of victims. Family members will not read the names in person this year; instead, recorded readings from the museum’s In Memoriam exhibition will be used for the ceremony.

In Arlington County, Virginia, located just outside Washington, D.C., the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial remains closed to visitors because of COVID-19 restrictions. Arlington County typically holds an annual remembrance ceremony, which this year will be held virtually. Specific plans for this year’s service will be released the week of Sept. 11, according to county spokesperson Erika Moore.

In Pennsylvania, the National Park Service will hold an abbreviated ceremony at Shanksville. The 20-minute “Moment of Remembrance” is set to begin at 9:45 a.m., without a keynote speaker or musical guests.

The names of each passenger and crew member from Flight 93 will be read aloud with the ringing of the “Bells of Remembrance,” according to the agency’s website.

Both President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden plan to visit Shanksville on Friday. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, will attend Sept. 11 memorial ceremonies in New York this year.