Saugus remembers its “9/11” victims on 23rd anniversary

A small group of town leaders and citizens are expected to gather for a low-key observance at the town’s Central Fire Station at 8:46 a.m. next Wednesday (Sept. 11) – the same time that fire departments across the nation will honor the memory of close to 3,000 people who perished in terrorist attacks involving four commercial airliners. Nearly 23 years have passed since American Airlines Flight 11 – one of four commercial airliners hijacked that day – became the first to hit its target, crashing into the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan.

A monument on the Hamilton Street side of Saugus Town Hall forever links the community to the national tragedy of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which claimed close to 3,000 lives that day. Two former Saugus residents were among the victims who were killed 23 years ago Wednesday (Sept. 11) in the event – also known as 9/11. The monument, which is inscribed with the date and the inscription “God Bless America” pays tribute to Gertrude “Trudi” Alagero and David DiMeglio, who were among the victims in New York City during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center Towers.

KILLED AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER: Gertrude M. “Trudi” Alagero, 37, a 1982 Saugus High School graduate, was a senior vice president and practice leader for Marsh Private Client Services, a division of Marsh & McLennan. Alagero was working out of an office on the 94th floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center (also known as Tower 1). At 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the northern facade of the North Tower. Marsh & McLennan had more than 800 working on floors 93 through 100 – the part of the building that was in the flight path of the first hijacked airliner to crash into the World Trade Center Towers. More than 350 Marsh & McLennan workers – including Alagero – perished in the attack.

KILLED IN PLANE CRASH: David DiMeglio, a former Saugus resident, then 22, was living in Wakefield and was among the 81 passengers on American Flight 11, which was commandeered by five al-Qaida terrorists and flown into the World Trade Center’s North Tower shortly before 9 a.m. on Sept. 11. He was headed west to help his mother move. He had completed computer school and had planned to start a business in computer services.

THE DEATH TOLL: The actual number of people who died in the terrorist attacks involving four hijacked jets might never be known. But officials estimate close to 3,000. They say 2,753 people – including 343 firefighters – died at the World Trade Center. United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower 16 minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. Another 184 were killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. And 40 people perished when passengers on board United Airlines Flight 93 fought to take control of the jet that was headed toward the capital, forcing hijackers to crash it in a field outside Shanksville, PA.