HoehmTown Happenings

Remarks: September 11th Remembrance Ceremony

On this the 23 rd Anniversary of September 11th, I have been thinking and contemplating about the legacy of this incredibly tragic event. 9/11 was the defining moment of this century and perhaps of the past 100 years—but aside from the grief and pain we feel, what still resonates today, twenty-three years later to you and me? And more importantly what are the lessons learned we can derive from that day and the events of the ensuing two plus decades?

Distance from an event can make us feel disconnected. It is only natural that over time people look to move away from a deeply painful event. Sadly, many family members of the 2,977 who died on that terrible day are also no longer with us.

Further still a whole generation was not yet born when 9/11 occurred – for them it is a historical event, like the Cold War or Pearl Harbor.  I think of this often as my youngest daughter, Ciara was born in a post September 11th world. While I can remember the day almost moment by moment as it unfolded, many others like my daughter never lived through it.

So allow me this year not as much to relive the emotion of that day as we have sometimes reflected upon at past ceremonies. Rather, I would prefer to focus on some lessons we can take away, these many years later. Specifically, three words come to mind which I think are lessons we can take away from this most fateful day, namely, sacrifice, remembrance and healing. 9/11 was certainly a day of sacrifice: we endured the loss of 2,977 people who died suddenly, needlessly and tragically. The world was diminished by these bright lights that were extinguished by acts of pure evil. In the immediate aftermath, rather than breaking us apart, the attacks brought people together.

We were united in a real, meaningful way and for a lengthy period of time that had not been experienced since Pearl Harbor. I think much of that can be attributed to the acts of true sacrifice we witnessed all around us. In real time, we witnessed the heroics of our bravest, FDNY firefighters rushing into the burning towers to rescue others. In the days, months, and years that followed, we learned even more about the depth of many of these sacrifices and selfless acts of heroism. Nothing embodies sacrifice more than the 343 members of the FDNY who willingly rushed in and completed the greatest rescue and evacuation mission in history. It is estimated that well over 30,000 and perhaps as many as 50,000 people were evacuated before the towers fell – tens of thousands of lives saved by first responders who likely stepped foot into the towers knowing they weren’t coming back out alive.

That level of sacrifice is easy to recognize, but there are so many other smaller but truly powerful examples that aren’t so obvious. Sacrifice was also exemplified by the many victims who spent their last living moments making calls to say goodbye and reassure their loved ones. Imagine the strength and presence of mind it took for these people, moments from death, to be thinking about comforting their loved ones and making those calls.

We unfortunately still continue to witness sacrifices being made resulting from that tragic day – as so many of those who served at Ground Zero developed deadly 9/11 related illnesses. Today more members of the FDNY have died as a result of service at Ground Zero, 370, than actually died on 9/11, 343. It is an enduring legacy of that day – people are still sacrificing from their selfless acts of service.

And so whenever we recall 9/11 we start first with the legacy of sacrifice. The importance of remembrance is another lesson we can take away. I was struck by a wonderful act of remembrance that took place earlier this month at our local high school, Clarkstown South, by the Stars and Stripes Club. These young people, who were not alive to witness or experience the horrors of September 11 th , recognized the value of remembrance and took it upon themselves to remind their peers to pause and honor the lives that were lost. They did this by raising money and placing 2,977 flags outside the school as a reminder of each life that was lost. These students, through a beautiful act of love, picked up the mantle of service and taught us again about the importance of remembrance.

As Supervisor, I have never been more proud of our town and our young people than when I was visiting and placing flags, side by side, with dozens of students on the lawn at South for this project. This simple act, and others like it, carried out by a new generation, will keep the legacy of life, love and sacrifice alive for generations to come.

 While the world was forever changed, the lessons borne out of sacrifice, remembrance and healing will never be forgotten. Today we solemnly recall that terrible day, but rather than dwell on the loss and pain, we choose to recall these higher virtues. We recall the fallen, who are forever an example of these higher virtues. May God Bless our beloved fallen. May God Bless our 9/11 families.

And May God continue to bless the United States of America.