Before Sept. 11, 2001, not many Americans were familiar with the term “homeland security.” Yet now, a decade later, homeland security is part of Americans’ everyday routine. Americans face extra security at airports and other public places. The integrity of forms of identification, such as driver's licenses, have become the core of homeland security. And there are more subtle reminders of the increased awareness about the possibility of terrorism, such as concrete barriers placed in strategic places at public places. Law enforcement agencies, at the federal, state and municipal levels, are at…

Editor's note: Many New Jersey residents saw firsthand the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Now, 10 years later, we've asked some of them how the event changed their lives. We'll be sharing their stories all this week.Hoboken resident Howard Turoff remembers thinking it was a clear and beautiful day as he walked to the local PATH station on his way to work on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. He had no idea he was about to step onto the last train into lower Manhattan, to the biggest terrorist attack ever in the United States. The cars of the train were full. People were standing …

Bonnie Brae School in Liberty Corner is marking the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack with a tribute to local veterans, first responders, and those families who lost loved ones in the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Students at the private school and residential treatment center were busy early this week in time to cover the large front field of the campus with flags. Each of the 2,977 flags represented one the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, said Cathy Phillips, spokeswoman for Bonnie Brae. From Valley Road, the flags are visible on the front lawn of the school's 100…

Editor's note: Many New Jersey residents saw firsthand the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Now, 10 years later, we've asked some of them how the event changed their lives. We'll be sharing their stories all this week.Steve Napolitano, who was the General Manager of the George Washington Bridge and Bus Station on Sept. 11, 2001, remembers standing on the sidewalk the day after the terror attacks, staring at the American flag workers had just unfurled on the bridge "while car horns beeped as they drove beneath it." “It was really important that we do that; that we hang that flag…

Everyone reacted differently to the attacks of Sept. 11, and the ensuing war and changes to our country. In this special You Said It, we asked five county residents to discuss how that day changed their lives, and how much they believe the world has changed since that day.

Charles B. McKenna, director of the New Jersey State Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, is scheduled to represent Gov. Chris Christie at Somerset County’s 9/11 memorial ceremony. He will bring a proclamation from the governor. The ceremony will begin Sunday at 8:46 a.m., next to the county’s 9/11 memorial at the corner of Main and Bridge streets in Somerville.  The Bernie Field parking deck off East High Street will be open for free parking for the ceremony. Members of the Somerset County Board of Freeholders, led by Freeholder Director Robert Zaborowski, will plant a tree in …

"A Letter to Caitlyn" "You asked your mom why everyone is so sad around your birthday and you wonder why you never got to meet your Uncle Johnnie. I hope I can help you understand. "Before you were born, there were two really big buildings in New York City called the Twin Towers. Your Uncle Johnnie worked on the 104th floor of the building, almost at the very top! He worked with bankers and had lots of friends who worked with him. "A week before you were born, a group of men who did not like our country, did a very bad thing. They hijacked airplanes, which means they forced the pilots to let …

In honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Patch has been gathering photographs and stories from all over the country about people whose lives have been affected by the attacks on America. Many of these photos will be featured in a photo gallery on the Huffington Post later this week. Above is a contribution from Basking Ridge Patch.

Over the summer, Patch as a whole began collecting readers' photos of the World Trade Center, a growing gallery in tribute to the Twin Towers. As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks draws near, we'll be remembering New Jersey residents who died that clear September morning. But we also wanted to pay tribute to the towers—iconic symbols of hope, flashy architecture and prosperity—when they stood tall and proud, dominating the New York City skyline.  We asked, and you delivered, sending in more than a hundred photos statewide that represent your favorite memories: the shimmering …