Members of the Stoughton Fire and Police Departments gathered on the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to hold a ceremony remembering the day when nearly 3,000 died when two hijacked commercial airliners crashed into the World Trade Center, another crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The death toll that day included 343 firefighters and 60 police officers.

In the backdrop of the ceremony, held at Stoughton's Fire Station 1 on Freeman St., was a large 30' by 60' American Flag flying from Ladder 2, gently waving in the light breeze of the clear blue sky.

The patriotic scene is the result of the successful "Raise the Flag" fundraiser run by Christine Iacobucci and her daughter Bella, a second grader at the Hansen School.

Christine and Bella had attended last year's 9/11 memorial and wondered why the large American flag that had been at the 2011 Memorial Day parade and 2011 July 4th festivities wasn't on display for the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

It was because the flag used on Memorial Day and for the July 4th festivities was borrowed from other towns and Stoughton was unable to secure one last September 11.

But thanks to donations from dozens across town, the "Raise the Flag" campaign raised the funds needed to purchase Stoughton's very own event-sized flag, which made its debut on Flag Day, June 14, 2012, at the Hansen School.

With the Ladder truck parked at the Pacheco Hardware lot Tuesday morning, the downtown was painted red, white and blue. Passers by (both pedestrians and motorists traveling Washington St. in the center of town) stopped to take pictures of the flag or just to gaze in its direction.

Preschool students from Crayon College on Freeman St. came by to look at the flag, holding small flags they had hand-made. 

Bells rang at the fire station at 9:59 a.m., commemorating the moment when the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York collapsed.

Firefighter Tim Medieiros rang the bell; firefighter Scott Mellyn lowered the flag at the fire station to half-staff; firefighter Brian Harkins read the Firefighter's Prayer; Firefighter Jeff Ledin recalled his experience deploying to Ground Zero in the days following the attack; and Fire Chief Mark Dolloff and Executive Officer Robert Devine of the Stoughton Police Department addressed the crowd of first responders.

The Stoughton Fire Department kept the flag onto display into the evening hours. After appearing at a Stoughton Board of Selectmen's meeting at Town Hall, Stoughton's State Senator Brian A. Joyce (D-Milton) stopped by the scene, greeting the firefighters there.

Take a look at pictures from this patriotic display in the media gallery.

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