Local Residents, First Responders Honored at Area 9/11 Ceremonies
Communities throughout Westchester stopped on Wednesday to pause and reflect on the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
In the late afternoon and early evening, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Castle and Mount Kisco were among the towns that remembered local residents who perished in the attacks and honored the hundreds of first responders who raced to Ground Zero to help the stricken and then assist in the recovery efforts.
“Sept. 11, 2001, was a powerful defining moment in our history and the memory of it still evokes powerful feelings,” said Mount Pleasant Supervisor Joan Maybury, whose town had six residents die that day. “That is why we are gathered here together today, to gain strength and hope from each other.”
Mount Pleasant’s ceremonies were held at the Hawthorne Fire House, the first time it served as the site for the 9/11 commemoration. Several dozen residents, local firefighters, scouts and veterans were among those who participated.
Hawthorne Fire Department Captain Sal Penelle served as master of ceremonies.
“Today we remember the bravery of the 343 members of the brave FDNY who made the supreme sacrifice 12 years ago today so that others could be saved,” Penelle said. “We also come as a fire department family, career and volunteer, to give strength and support to each other.”
A fire department bell rang to honor the fallen firefighters and local residents.
Somber ceremonies were also held in neighboring towns. North Castle officials, accompanied by color guards from the police department, Armonk Fire Department, Civil Air Patrol and American Legion Post 1097, gathered in front of the town’s 9/11 memorial.
Five town residents–Peter Alderman, Mark Brisman, Marni O’Doherty, Thomas Palazzo and Joanne Weill–died that day at the World Trade Center.
“We gather here today to honor our neighbors who perished that day and to honor and thank the many great first responders who sacrificed themselves,” said Supervisor Howard Arden.
In New Castle, town officials held their ceremony at the Gedney Park memorial. Assemblyman David Buchwald, the keynote speaker for the event, said Sept. 11, 2001, was one of the darkest days in American history but it also showed the world that the American spirit can never be broken.
He urged the residents and the police officers and volunteer firefighters and ambulance corps members in attendance “to remember the many we lost too soon and to honor the countless heroes who offered their all to save others’ lives.”
“Nothing will erase this tragedy and it’s incumbent upon each of us to make sure that everyone, especially children who are too young to have their own person memories, remember the meaning of Sept. 11, a day when hatred was met with great selflessness,” Buchwald said.
Maybury said that it is the duty for everyone to remember those who died from the attacks.
“We must remember them as individuals with their own stories,” she said. “It is also our duty to comfort the loved ones left behind who still mourn and grieve despite the passage of time.”
Mount Pleasant Police Chief Louis Alagno has worn the same American flag pin since a few days after the 2001 attacks.
“It reminds me about the tragedy of that day,” he explained. “It reminds me about our responders who rushed to the scene to help others. It reminds me of the freedoms we enjoy. It reminds me that freedom is not free. It reminds me to be grateful for all those that defend our freedom.”
Martin Wilbur contributed to this article.
