The township marked the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with a new Callery Pear tree at the Pfeiffer Community Center.
Monroe remembered the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with a ceremony and the planting of a Callery Pear tree at the POW/MIA memorial site next to the Pfeiffer Community Center.
The same type of tree was at Ground Zero on 9/11, severely damaged and uprooted, but for one branch with leaves still alive. It was salvaged during rescue operations and given to the New York City Parks and Recreation Department, officials said. For the next nine years, it was nurtured and cared for to be strong again, and was replanted at the 9/11 Memorial in the city.
It is now known as the “Survivor Tree.”
The township’s new pear tree also symbolizes survival and resilience and is dedicated to Monroe residents affected by the attacks, including the family of John Hewitt, in attendance for the planting. He was an educator for the Department of Corrections and specialized in motivational speaking. Hewitt was at Ground Zero to support first responders.
He moved to Monroe in 2003, but his presence at the attack site in New York resulted in medical issues that ultimately took his life three years ago.
Township officials also recalled 9/11 at the ceremony, including members of the Gloucester County Emergency Response Team dispatched to Ground Zero to provide security just hours after the terrorist attacks. Monroe police Sgt. Brian Reeve, several township officials and Cecil Ambulance and Rescue squads also responded to the attacks.
