Valley Stream 9/11 monument unveiling

Valley Stream Village will unveil a monument to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks during a memorial service today .

The service, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., will take place in A.J. Hendrickson Park, near the intersection of Merrick Road and North Franklin  Avenue in Valley Stream.

It is open to the public.

The ceremony will feature the monument, which honors those who died in the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, Mayor Ed Fare said.

The 2,300-pound monument is made out of a steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center site, he said.

“Even people who didn’t lose a direct family member suffered on that day,” Fare said. “It’s a place for people to grieve, reflect, mourn, pray.”

Twelve Valley Stream residents died in the Sept. 11 attacks, Fare said. Their relatives were invited to see the monument during a private ceremony on Sunday, he said.

SEE PHOTOSClassic images of the Twin Towers

The ceremony is scheduled to include a Color Guard ceremony performed by members of American Legion Post 854.

Village officials, Valley Stream Fire Department personnel and Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of Valley Stream will also participate, the village said in a statement.

The ceremony is expected to last about an hour, Fare said.

Above: The A.J. Hendrickson Park and Pool complex is on West Merrick Road between North Franklin Avenue and Fletcher Avenue in Valley Stream. (April 9, 2012)

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