On this 17th anniversary of the events of September 11th, as I listen again to the 1010 WINS’ coverage of the memorial events of that fateful day, I remember tuning in to 1010 while getting ready for work when I heard the first reports of the plane crashing into the towers. I immediately thought of my brother, Mark, who had been in the first bombing of the World Trade Center many years ago and who always arrived early to work downtown. My son, Jeff, also always arrived early by ferry to downtown NYC. When I heard another plane hit the Pentagon and then Shanksville, I thought of my sister, Fran, and her family living nearby in Somerset County, PA. Cell phones were not working and we could not make contact with our loved ones. As the terror unfolded, I became glued to the TV watching the horror. Thankfully, none of my family were lost in 9/11. Unfortunately, many of the fallen were friends, neighbors, fireman, policemen, volunteers--many from our community. As the days and months went by, one couldn’t drive on any major street on the Island without encountering a funeral procession. I attended a number of funerals and memorials over the years especially of those recovery personnel who worked diligently to find the remains of the lost; and then many themselves succumbed to 9/11-related illnesses.
Let us remember the days following 9/11 when we came together. We rediscovered our national unity. We put aside the things that divide us and instead focused on what unites us, our common title: We the People.
There are memorials taking place today on this 17th anniversary, as well as tonight on Staten Island at the 9/11 Postcards memorial at the St. George Esplanade at 6:30. It is an especially touching ceremony to unify our community and to remember to support the families and friends of those who were lost. LET US NEVER FORGET!
