Traveling is always filled with serendipitous moments, especially when you unexpectedly run across a new sight, sometimes in the most incongruous place. A few weeks ago we were driving in Bayonne, New Jersey and, as we often do, turned down a side road we didn’t know, leading to the waterfront. Old, decrepit warehouses lined the route, interspersed with mounds of dirt in what was once the Military Ocean Terminal, now the property of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. As we reach the end of the road, however, a magnificent vista of Manhattan opens up before us and there, soaring into the sky, is a single obelisk, shining in the sunlight. It is the Teardrop Memorial to those who lost their lives in the World Trade Center attacks.

We are stunned. How was it that we had never heard a whisper about this unique memorial? Later we learn how few people were, and are, aware of this sculpture (also known as the Monument to the Struggle Against World Terrorism) which was dedicated on the fifth anniversary of 9/11(2206) by the then Russian President Vladimir Putin and former President Bill Clinton.

The sculpture, the work of Russian artist Zurab Tesereteii, was a gift from the people of Russia to the people of the United States. Built in St. Petersburg, Russia, it was shipped to the US and assembled on-site at a cost of $12 million. Visit early in the morning and the rising sun illuminates the monument in a golden glow. In the evening, the setting sun lights up the opposite side, reflecting visitors in the shining tear.

The paths around the memorial are covered with stones engraved with names and messages. Small flags and pots of flowers accent individual blocks. It is a peaceful place to wander, to sit and contemplate the memorial and reflect on what it commemorates. The gift is not without its controversy, most of it engendered by politics. The sculpture was supposed to be erected in Jersey City but apparently rejected by a committee of artists who didn’t like it. Then, city officials in Bayonne stepped in and accepted the monument which was raised on Harbor View Peninsula, a two-acre park on the edge of New York Harbor near where cruise ships dock. Bayonne is a fitting place for such a monument since it was the arrival point for many of the 9/11 evacuees from New York City and a staging area for rescuers. In addition, 13 residents of Bayonne lost their lives in the two attacks. They are remembered in a small monument in front of the teardrop.

Sadly, controversy continues to swell around this monument. With the sale of the site to the Port Authority, Bayonne is considering moving the monument to another, as yet undetermined, site. Many Bayonne residents are upset about this decision. A petition is circulating calling on the city to keep the memorial where it is. The final fate of the teardrop memorial is unknown. If you plan to visit, you should do so before the gates of this gem of a park are closed in the name of politics and “progress.”

IF YOU GO
The only way to get to the Teardrop Memorial is by car. Take New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 14A. Take Avenue E exit. Drive south to 32nd Street and turn left at the light onto Hwy 440/169 South. Turn left at the light onto Port Terminal Blvd. Drive all the way to the end of the pier near the cruise ship terminal to the park. If you are using a navigation system, the address is 51 Port Terminal Boulevard, Bayonne, New Jersey.

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