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(Valhalla, NY) – Overlooking both The Rising memorial and the newly unveiled Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial, Westchester County Executive George Latimer joined the County in mourning those lost due to the terrorist attack that day twenty years ago.
Latimer said: “Each year, this day is day of reflection for those who lived through it and a day to provide comfort to those who lost so much. Now, twenty years later, this day must also serve as a lesson to those too young to remember. I hope this ceremony can both provide comfort and a reminder to all what occurred on that seemingly normal September morning on which the world was changed forever.”
The County’s ceremony, emceed by ABC7 Journalist Marcus Solis, marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11, once again hosted at the breathtaking Kensico Dam Plaza was a service filled with powerful remarks, moving prayers by Reverend Erwin Lee Trollinger, Imam Shaffieq Chace, & Rabbi Howard Goldsmith, comforting music provided by SUNY Purchase, sadness, but also, hope.
Solis said: “As a reporter who covered the attacks on 9/11, the 20th anniversary has special meaning. I am truly honored to be taking part in the ceremony in Westchester where I live, and where so many families were impacted.”
The ceremony opened with a procession Westchester County Department of Public Safety Ceremonial Unit Color Guard, the Pipes and Drums of the Police Emerald Society of Westchester County and representatives from the NYPD and FDNY. This moving tribute was followed by a rendition the Star Spangled Banner performed by New York Presbyterian Lawrence ICU nurse and Mount Vernon resident Carlo Jose “CJ” Zenarosa.
The solemn occasion was then marked by the laying of a wreath by Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, Department of Emergency Services Commissioner Richard Wishnie, Lisabeta Vukaj – sister Of Simon Marash Dedvukaj who was killed in the north tower – and a member of the Westchester County Department of Safety Police Honor Guard.
The day prior to the ceremony, September 10, Latimer was joined by family members of those fallen for a private unveiling of the newly furnished Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial. This new monument, placed next The Rising at Kensico Dam Plaza, was designed by a committee made up of loved ones of those lost.
Committee Co- Chair and New York City Police Officer Matthew J. McCauley said: “Twenty years after our first responders rushed to the disaster areas that were created in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, these selfless, courageous, brave and humble men and women continue to make the ultimate sacrifice from 9/11 related illnesses. First responders from eleven different agencies, including six from the City of Yonkers Fire & Police Departments and four from the City of White Plains Fire Department are among the initial 41 names engraved on the memorial being unveiled today adjacent to “The Rising.” We applaud Westchester County Executive George Latimer for recognizing that a memorial in the honor of those 9/11 first responders that resided and/or worked or volunteered for Westchester County Agencies and who lost their lives to 9/11 related illnesses was long overdue. The collaboration between County Executive Latimer, his team and this Memorial Committee has had one goal from the beginning, to “Never Forget.” Unfortunately, we expect the number of names here to at least double in size by next year once we capture all that have been lost who are associated with Westchester County. Again, we thank County Executive Latimer for understanding the sobering truth and reality that this memorial will continue to grow in size for decades to come. By supporting this Memorial Committee’s vision, he, along with the rest of the County, has ensured that 9/11 First Responders from Westchester County will never be forgotten.”
The committee, and Westchester County, tragically lost co-chair Peter Woods to a 9/11 related illness earlier this year.
Following the public unveiling of the new memorial, an Eternal Light was lit. A light that will shine 24/7 over the memorial as a testament to the light shone over this County by the heroes this monument is dedicated to.
The ceremony continued on with the reading of the names of those Westchester residents killed on 9/11 and those Westchester residents who have died from 9/11 related illnesses by Westchester County Legislators, District Attorney Miriam Rocah, County Clerk Tim Idoni and family members of those lost.
Names of those lost on 9/11:
- William Abrahamson
- Peter Craig Alderman
- Kazuhiro Anai
- Sharon Balkcom
- Yelena Belilovsky
- Michael J. Berkeley
- George Bishop
- Michael A. Boccardi
- Michelle Renee Bratton
- Thomas M. Brennan
- Jonathan Eric Briley
- Mark Brisman
- Lloyd Brown
- Ronald Bucca
- Tom Burke
- Mary T. Caulfield
- Alex Ciccone
- Kevin Francis Cleary
- Robert J. Coll
- Helen Crossin-Kittle
- Joan Cullinan
- Patrick W. Danahy
- Dwight Darcy
- Marisa DiNardo
- Simon A. Dhanani
- John J. Doherty
- Christopher Michael Duffy
- Paul Fiori
- Thomas Fitzpatrick
- Simon Dedvukaj
- Kevin Joseph Frawley
- Alan W. Friedlander
- John Patrick Gallagher
- Charles Garbarini
- Peter Gelinas
- Kieran Joseph Gorman
- Yugi Goya
- Gary Haag
- Richard B. Hall
- Vincent Halloran
- W. Ward Haynes
- Nobuhiro Hayatsu
- Katsuyuki Hirai
- Thomas Warren Hohlweck, Jr.
- Montgomery McCullogh Hord
- Louis Steven Inghilterra
- Ariel Louis Jacobs
- Arthur Joseph Jones
- Douglas G. Karpiloff
- Satoshi Kikuchihara
- Takashi Kinoshita
- Glenn Kirwin
- Richard J. Klares
- Gary Koecheler
- Vanessa Langer
- Denis Lavelle
- Joseph Leavey
- Michael A. Lepore
- Richard Lynch, Jr.
- Michael J. Lyons
- Katie Marie McCloskey
- John T. McErlean, Jr.
- Francis McGuinn
- Michael McHugh, Jr.
- Barry J. McKeon
- Robert C. McLaughlin, Jr.
- Christopher D. Mello
- Yamel Merino
- William Minardi
- Krishna V. Moorthy
- George Morell
- Dennis Moroney
- Takuya Nakamura
- Soichi Numata
- James A. Oakley
- Diana J. O’Connor
- Amy O’Doherty
- Marni Pont O’Doherty
- Samuel Oitice
- Sean Gordon Corbett O’Neill
- Chris Orgielewicz
- Timothy F. O’Sullivan
- Michael B. Packer
- Thomas Palazzo
- James Nicholas Pappageorge
- William H. Pohlmann
- Hemanth Kumar Puttur
- Vincent A. Princiotta
- Valsa Raju
- Robert A. Rasmussen
- John Reo
- Joseph R. Riverso
- Gregory E. Rodriguez
- Edward Ryan
- Tatiana Ryjova
- Sam Salvo
- Eric Sand
- Robert Scandole
- Marian Serva
- Daniel Shea
- Joseph Shea
- Linda Sheehan
- Thomas J. Shubert
- Allan Shwartzstein
- David Silver
- Michael John Simon
- Thomas E. Sinton III
- Rochelle M. Snell
- Robert Speisman
- Joseph P. Spor, Jr.
- Timothy C. Stout
- John Swaine
- Sean Patrick Tallon
- Michael A. Tamuccio
- Kenichiro Tanaka
- Joanna Vidal
- Jeffrey Walz
- James Arthur Waring
- Timothy Matthew Welty
- William Wik
- Marc Zeplin
- Ivelin Ziminski
- Joseph J. Zuccala
Names read of those lost to 9/11 Related Illnesses:
- Firefighter – Gary S. Allo – White Plains Fire Department
- Police Officer – Christopher M. Barry – NYPD
- Sergeant – Patrick J. Boyle – NYPD
- Sergeant – Patrick T. Coyne – NYPD
- Battalion – Chief Kevin R. Byrnes – FDNY
- John M. Cozza – Construction Industry
- Emergency Medical Technician – Luis De Pena, Jr – FDNY
- Police Officer Kenneth X. Domenech – NYPD
- Police Officer Nicholas G. Finelli – NYPD
- Lieutenant – Clark W. Douglass – White Plains Fire Department
- Firefighter – Daniel R. Foley – FDNY
- Detective – Mark S. Gado – New Rochelle Police Department
- Richard A. Grace – Construction Industry
- Commissioner Peter S. Guyett – Yonkers Fire Department
- Firefighter – Herbert D. Harriott – Rye Fire Department
- Police Officer – Joseph F. Heid – NYPD
- Detective – Michael A. Houlahan – NYPD
- John A. Lo Bianco – Construction Industry
- Police Officer – Anthony Maggiore – Yonkers Police Department
- Executive Director – Stephan Hittmann – FDNY
- Fire Fighter – Gary S. Martin – White Plains Fire Department
- Lieutenant – Roy D. McLaughlin – Yonkers Police Department
- Firefighter – Robert A. Mentrasti – Fairview Fire Department
- Detective – James W. Monahan – NYPD
- Police Officer – Walter L. Mallinson – Harrison Police Department
- Lieutenant – John W. Moran – FDNY
- Firefighter – Kevin J. Nolan – FDNY
- Police Officer – Kathleen O’Connor Funigello – New Rochelle Police Department
- Firefighter – John V. Peteani Jr – Yonkers Fire Department
- Firefighter – Michael R. O’Hanlon – FDNY
- Firefighter – Eduardo A. Rivera – Yonkers Fire Department
- Detective – Joseph E. Seabrook – NYPD
- Captain – Robert J. Spatta – Croton on the Hudson Fire Department
- Deputy Chief – Frank G. Strollo – New Rochelle Fire Department
- Captain – Ronald G. Peifer SR – NYPD
- Captain – Dennis P. Tortorella – Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department
- Firefighter – Neill S. Tyndal JR – Yonkers Fire Department
- Detective – Charles J. Wassil JR – Peekskill Police Department
- Lieutenant – Marden C. Wolf – White Plains Fire Department
- James P. Sullivan – New York City Transit Authority
- Sergeant – Peter C. Woods – NYPD, Hartsdale Fire Commissioner & Co-Chair of this Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial
The tribute concluded with a moment of silence, flyover by County Police and a performance of Taps by Mount Pleasant Police Officer Peter Blume.
News courtesy of the office of the Westchester County Executive.