Saturday, Sept. 11 will mark the 20-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. To commemorate the day, Madison will be holding two different remembrance events.

On Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. in front of the church on the Town Green, the annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony will be held. As in years past, this ceremony will include speeches from different veterans’ groups, elected officials, and other local leaders. The ceremony is expected to last around one hour and is open to the public to attend.

In addition to the usual ceremony, the town will also have what is called a Healing Field on the display. Sponsored by the Madison Exchange Club, the display consists of about 100 three- by five-foot American flags that will be flown on the green. The flags will be unveiled on Sept. 3 at a ceremony at 5 p.m. The flags are set up in rows that allow for people to walk through them.

Flags can be purchased for $40 and can be dedicated to honor 9/11 victims, active or fallen military members, veterans, first responders, COVID-19 heroes, child abuse victims, and service canines. More information can be found at www.healingfield.org. The flags will remain up until Sunday, Sept. 19 giving anyone who missed the ceremony plenty of time to come downtown and wander through the field.

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 Americans and people across the world were shocked, saddened and angered after terrorists hijacked four planes and crashed them into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. A fourth plane, reportedly headed for the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers aboard the flight disrupted the hijackers and prevented the plane from going to its intended destination. The attacks claimed the lives of close to 3,000 people and had far-reaching and life-altering effects after.

Sadly, the effects were also felt close to home. Eight people with ties to Eastern Connecticut were killed in the attacks including Dianne Bullis Snyder, a Madison native. Bullis Snyder, 42, a flight attendant on American Airlines living in Westport, Massachusetts, crewed Flight 11 out of Logan International Airport on Sept. 11, 2001.