On the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, observances were held at the Wellesley Hills Fire Department Headquarters to honor and remember the 2,977 civilians and first responders who died on that day.

Addressing a crowd of about 80 Wellesley residents, first responders, and town officials, Select Board Chair Tom Ulfelder said, “Today marks the anniversary of the most lethal attack on American soil, when nineteen terrorists from half a world away hijacked four commercial aircraft and turned them into weapons that rained death on New York City, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. That terrible day brought changes large and small that effect every facet of American life. Seventy million people living in the United States had not yet been born on September 11, 2001, but there are many living now who are haunted by memories that stalk them in unguarded moments.”

Wellesley residents who lost their lives in the attacks were named: Neilie Casey; Edmund Glaser; Patrick Quigley; and John Cahill.

Select Board members Lise Olney, Beth Sullivan Woods, Tom Ulfelder, and Colette Aufranc also were in attendance at the ceremony.

(We’ll add a link to Wellesley Media’s recording when it’s available.)