Bucks County honors local 9/11 victims 25 years after the attacks

LOWER MAKEFIELD TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- Dozens of people gathered in Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, on Friday morning to mark 25 years since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Among the speakers was Lower Makefield Police Chief Joseph Kelly, who shared his personal account of helping people evacuate from Hoboken, New Jersey.

Kelly also honored a close friend, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Officer John P. Skala, who died while attempting to rescue victims trapped in the World Trade Center.

"There are images of that day that will never leave me," said Chief Kelly.

Jon Reiss, whose older brother, 23-year-old Joshua Reiss, was killed in the attacks, reflected on the passage of time and the enduring impact of the loss on his family.

"One thing I do know about him now is, he's reunited with our dad for the first time in 25 years, bittersweet in a number of ways," said Reiss. "What really gets to me now is how much Josh is missed. All the siblings are married. We all have kids. Something you can't imagine is 25 years ago, getting to this point, still feels like it's yesterday."

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The ceremony brought together families and friends of the 18 Bucks County victims, as well as community members who did not know them personally, to commemorate the anniversary.

One speaker urged attendees to ensure younger generations remember the events of Sept. 11 and the response that followed.

"Let's make sure that the next generation who has no living memory never forgets what happened that day, the pain we felt, the resolve we felt, and incredible acts of heroism," said one speaker.

In addition to remarks from speakers, the event followed the timeline of the attacks with the tolling of a memorial bell at each significant moment.

The ceremony also included the reading of the names of the 18 Bucks County residents and all Pennsylvanians who lost their lives that day.

This year, the Wall of Reflection returned to the memorial site, providing a place for visitors to leave handwritten notes. Many of those messages expressed love and hope.

The remembrance ceremony was one of two services planned for the garden in observance of the Sept. 11 anniversary.