New Jersey is remembering more than 700 people killed on 9/11.

Thirty-nine of those victims were from Jersey City, where a memorial ceremony was held Thursday morning.

"Our people saved lives"

The victims were honored with two moments of silence before first responders read out their names.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop threw a wreath into the Hudson River to mark a day that changed the lives of many, including his own.

"For me, I was in Lower Manhattan when the buildings were struck, and it caused me to enlist in the Marine Corps," he said.

Fulop was one of many who fled Manhattan and came to the Jersey City waterfront, which turned into a triage center. It's now a 9/11 memorial site.

"The nation's greatest maritime evacuation from New York was to here, and our people saved lives," Jersey City Battalion Chief Richard Gorman said.

Gorman was a firefighter at the time.

"We were operating in the arena at Ground Zero within hours of the collapse," he said.

"It needs to be recognized every single year"

Many first responders, including those in Jersey City, are now suffering or dying of 9/11-related illnesses as a result of exposure to toxins at Ground Zero.

"You went over there fully with the good intentions of trying to help as much as you can, but now you're dealing with all the aftereffects," Jersey City Office of Emergency Management Director Greg Kierce said.

Kierce was part of the search effort at Ground Zero and is, himself, recovering from 9/11-related cancer.

"The one thing you never leave is the smell," he said.

Hudson Montessori middle school students also attended the somber ceremony.

"It's a very deep day, and it's really sad," 14-year-old Joel Villmar said.

"It's really important that they learn that you know this happened and that it needs to be recognized every single year," said Gina Reeves, the school's director.

Jersey City's ceremony was one of many held across the Tri-State Area, including the annual event at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan.