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September 11

Memory of Miller Place FDNY firefighter still alive after 20 years

by Julianne Mosher - September 9, 2021

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Alice Martin remembers it like it was yesterday.

Her husband, a lieutenant in the FDNY’s Rescue 2, left his Miller Place home on Monday afternoon, Sept. 10, for his 24-hour shift in Brooklyn. He was supposed to come home Tuesday night, but he unfortunately never walked back through the door.

“I left all the lights on in the house,” she said. “I left the front door unlocked because I figured maybe if he gets his way home somehow, he would just come in.”

The mom of three boys, ages 13, 8 and 6, had just finished dropping them off at the bus stop when the first plane hit the tower on Sept. 11.

“As the day unfolded, and I was watching the news, I realized he could be there because even though he didn’t work in Manhattan, he was in a rescue company,” she said.

But Peter was always fine, Alice thought. “Then by six o’clock, when obviously he never called and then he didn’t come home, it became very real.”

Looking back two decades later, she doesn’t know how she did it.

“It was beyond horrible,” she said. “But especially as a mom, that’s really the key. I went into mommy gear right away. My kids needed me more than they’ve ever needed me, and I really needed to keep my head screwed on straight.”

Peter C. Martin began his career as an FDNY firefighter in 1979. A native of Valley Stream, he graduated from St. John’s University where he met his future wife.

“He was good at it and he loved it,” she said. “I think most of them do … It really is a calling.”

A full-time dad, who also worked at the Suffolk County Fire Academy as a teacher, she said her husband was just “a really good guy. A wonderful dad, and a wonderful husband.”

The two were married for 17 years when he passed away.

“It’s strange … I’ve been without him longer than I’ve been with him,” she said. “I never remarried, and my heart still belongs to him.”

According to Alice, Peter was just 43 years old on 9/11 and was among seven that were killed that day in his firehouse.

“I started calling the firehouse in Brooklyn and nobody was answering. My kids started asking questions,” she recalled. “And as the hours were going on, I felt useless because I wanted to do something. So, I actually started calling hospitals that I knew they were taking the wounded to.”

She eventually got a call that her husband was missing and unaccounted for.

“That’s when neighbors started coming over, people started reaching out to me, which was comforting in some ways and frightening at the same time,” she said.

Alice said the outpouring amount of love and support she and her boys got from the local community during that time was “wonderful.”

“I can say nothing bad,” she said. “There was just such a generous spirit from the people of Sound Beach, Miller Place and Rocky Point … That whole area, the letters I got from strangers.”

Peter was the only 9/11 victim from Miller Place.

“I have to say it was a horrible, horrible situation, but it was also — now looking back — just unbelievable, the goodness of people to strangers they never met,” she said.

Along with learning that a community can come together, Alice said she’s learned two other things after that day’s events.

“I believe in the gift of time with finding a new normal and learning how to live,” she said. “I started taking one thing at a time, whether big or small, I just took everything one thing at a time.”

Twenty years later, with her now-grown sons and a grandson who bears Peter’s name, they still talk about him every single day.

“Now the good thing is any stories that are told, it’s peaceful because we’re not crying, we’re just talking about him,” she said. “You just keep going, and I’m still going.”

Alice said that her husband would be “busting over the moon” knowing that he’s now a grandpa, and that the baby is Peter Charles Martin, the second.

“He’d be so happy to see that these three little boys have become three wonderful men, all doing wonderful things, all living their dreams,” she said.

And the sons followed in their dad’s footsteps. All three have begun careers helping other people; as a registered nurse, paramedic and licensed Master of Social Work.

“They’re definitely making a difference in the world,” she added. “He’d be so proud with everything.”

Peter loved snacks and Alice will be reminded of him when she bakes certain things.

“I don’t believe in closure, but I do believe in the gift of time and the healing that can come with that,” she said. “The hardest part is you have to go through it.”

Memories of living in Manhattan the days after the 9/11 attacks

by Daniel Dunaief - September 9, 2021

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September-11_Bolivar-Arellano — Photographer Bolivar Arellano captured the destruction in Lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks. Photo by Bolivar Arellano

With our 4-month-old daughter in a stroller, we followed the same path so many others did in the days after 9/11. We ventured to the nearest fire station, on East 85th Street in Manhattan, where several members of the rescue squad had died racing to the burning World Trade Center towers.

We passed the familiar posters with the faces of people missing after that day, taped to almost every telephone pole, fence and door by relatives desperate for a miracle.

People had covered a car on the same block as the fire station with so many flowers that it was difficult to see the car’s original color.

Slowing our pace, we reached the station where larger-than-life pictures of the faces of firefighters served as a memorial.

Firefighters at the station greeted their guests with grace and dignity, talking about their fallen comrades, accepting the food neighbors had purchased or cooked, and taking other tokens of appreciation and expressions of shared grief. The car covered in flowers belonged to one of the rescue workers killed that day.

Some of the visitors lost the battle to control their runaway emotions, struggling to offer comfort through their tears. The firefighters comforted them, thanking them for coming and offering something to the effect of “I appreciate your visit” and “I know what you mean.”

When it was our turn to speak, we offered some version of our thanks, handing a gift to the people who would continue to risk their lives to protect people in the neighborhood.

The weeks that followed the attacks were a blur, with images of the then-heroic Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) demonstrating defiance and resilience on TV interspersed with hard-to-breathe moments when parts of the towers passed us on the roads as the city cleaned up the site.

Among the 2,606 people who died at the WTC — then or later from injuries — I thought about the ones I knew well.

A financial services reporter for several years, I regularly called analysts at the boutique investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. I frequently chatted with three of them in particular: Marni Pont O’Doherty, Tom Theurkauf Jr. and David Berry.

While he was often in a hurry, Tom never ended a conversation without his familiar, “Good to talk.” Two decades later, I can still hear his energetic and respectful signoff.

David shared quotes and insights without changing his pitch, tolerating ridiculous questions and challenging what I thought I knew.

A self-described “banking nerd,” Marni loved her job. I called her with all kinds of rumors about bank mergers and she never discounted any possibility. She would tell me why something might make sense. Often she would conclude by saying she wasn’t making the decisions and that bank executives had done stranger things.

They were three of the 67 people who lost their lives at KBW.

In the weeks after the attacks, an eerie graciousness fell over a city where verbal confrontation is a way of life. As we walked or drove through the city, we didn’t hear any car horns. A light would turn green and every car would wait for the people, who might be mourning a loss, to go.

Everyone, however, didn’t come together then, just as people across the political aisle today rarely come together.

Indeed, with attacks and hostility toward Middle Easterners rising in the weeks after the attack, numerous taxi and limo drivers attached bumper stickers to their cars, indicating that they were proud Americans or that they were, say, Sikh Americans.

The flyers eventually came down or blew off poles and crosswalk signs, the trucks stopped hauling beams and other pieces of the towers, and drivers honked again.

In the 20 years since, I have tried to balance between appreciating the privilege of knowing Marni, Tom, David and others and the agony of realizing all that they, and their families, lost. They weren’t my best friends or my family, but they were — and continue to be — missed and remembered. And, thank you, Tom. It was “good to talk.”

Daniel Dunaief writes a weekly science feature called the Power of Three and a weekly column called None of the Above for TBR News Media.

A son honors his first responder dad’s legacy

by Rita J. Egan - September 8, 2021

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Tom-and-Matt-Brophy-web — Matthew Brophy as a newborn with his father Tom. Photo from Rita Brophy

He was only 3 years old when his father passed away.

Matthew Brophy in a recent photo. Photo from Rita Brophy

Matthew Brophy, of Smithtown, is now 19 years old and has no personal memories of his father Thomas Brophy. His dad was a New York City police officer for 16 years and was also a first responder at Ground Zero. His father died in 2005 at the age of 36 after a battle with metastatic colon cancer. Doctors believed Tom Brophy’s cancer stemmed from his work at Ground Zero during the days after September 11.

Matthew Brophy, now a sophomore at Adelphi University, has the memories that his mother Rita and loved ones have shared with him through the years. The stories have left him with a loving impression of his father.

“I would describe him as a valiant, strong and charismatic individual,” Matthew Brophy said.

Among those in his life who knew his dad are old friends, including Tom Brophy’s police partner Rich Seagriff and training buddy Matt Fagan.

“His old friends treat me like I am their own son,” he said.

The son said one of his favorite stories is hearing how his father lost sight of him for a brief moment at Best Buy when he was 2. The then-toddler had a SpongeBob DVD in his hand and started walking out of the store only to set off the alarm.

Like his parents, Brophy grew up in the Hauppauge school district. He graduated from Hauppauge High School in 2020. When it came time to learn about 9/11 in class, he said the information was nothing new to him.

“I really haven’t learned anything particularly new in the school system about 9/11 and Ground Zero due to me being a child that was involved with it,” he said. “If anything, I knew more than the teachers about it. For the most part, it is taught just to be taught in history in the first week because the first or second week of high school in America usually falls on 9/11, at least in Suffolk it does.”

Brophy added it’s not a subject teachers delve into that deeply and usually students are shown a video of the planes crashing into the towers.

“It gets to a point where it’s so routine I genuinely feel offended, especially when everyone in the class knows that they’re in a class with a kid whose dad died from 9/11,” he said. “Needless to say, I don’t think it’s something that needs to be taught as of now, but in the future, yes. If people are still suffering physically from an event, that means that it is still undeniably relevant enough to be known.”

Brophy was recently awarded a scholarship from the First Responders Children’s Foundation and is currently pursuing a degree in psychology. He also has been juggling three jobs.

His mother said she is proud of him and “the man he is becoming.”

Rita Brophy said her son’s biggest quality is loyalty, just like his dad.

“He is exposed to many friends with many cultural beliefs and he respects them,” she said. “Hopefully, his view in the world will continue to be open-minded and loving of everyone he meets.”

Rocky Point hero remembered nearly 20 years after 9/11

by Rich Acritelli - July 17, 2021

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“What happened on September 11, is something that will be with me for every day of my life yet we know somehow we’ll pass through it. Time goes on. But it reminds us of the sole appreciation that we have always had for our family, our friends, our community and our country. He will be missed forever.”

These were the words of Helga Curtin on Nov. 20, 2001, to identify the unique character of her late husband, Michael Sean Curtin, who was a sergeant major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and a member of the New York City Emergency Services Unit.

On 9/11, Mike Curtin wished his wife a happy birthday, sent flowers to her job and expected to arrive back at their Medford home where he was planning to make her a special dinner. On this beautiful late summer day, the United States was attacked by terrorists and, like many other rescue workers, he answered the call to help others survive this tragic date.

As an Emergency Services Unit sergeant, Curtin was no stranger to handling delicate situations. Being a member of a strong city law enforcement agency, it was common for him to deal with a myriad of responsibilities.

He was well versed in leading hostage negotiations, administering first aid, facing suicide attempts and helping others through challenging rescues of citizens. He had significant experience through the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It was observed that he spent a great deal of time working with law and government officials during this early terrorism attack on the city.

Always seen as a “squared away” leader through his time in the military, his presence was always felt during every type of incident, including Osama bin Laden’s first attempt to destroy this financial center.

Oklahoma City bombing and Harlem rescue

Two years later, he was ordered after the Oklahoma City bombing to assist within recovery efforts at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in that city. This building was devastated from domestic terrorism, where 168 people were killed, including six members of the Armed Forces.

During this support, Curtin saw the red “blood stripe” of one of the two members of the Marine Corps that were lost in this debris.

Randy Guzman was a Marine captain who worked in the recruiting station that was located on the sixth floor of this building. Curtin noticed his remains and right away asked for permission to detach fellow law enforcement and military figures to help him dig through the rubble to properly recover the remains of Guzman.

For several hours, Curtin led this difficult task of using heavy machinery to reach this deceased Marine. Curtin was a combat veteran of the first Gulf War who was with the American spearhead to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi military.

He still served in the Marine Corps Reserves, where he had the senior leadership rank of first sergeant. Once Curtin and his men reached Guzman, this loud work site, automatically became quiet, as the body was carried out with an American flag placed over the fallen Marine.

Rarely speaking about his job, Curtin recalled this somber moment and said, “Everyone was watching in silence as we brought our Marine out.”

The following year, members of the Guzman family and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) took a picture with Curtin to show appreciation for his determination and skills to assist the residents of Oklahoma City impacted by this explosion.

A good friend who worked closely with Curtin to handle the immense tasks of the Emergency Services is retired Lt. Owen McCaffrey of Bay Shore. This officer was Curtin’s supervisor of Truck 2 in Harlem that helped cover nine precincts from 86th Street to Washington Heights within Upper Manhattan.

Thinking of his good friend, McCaffrey believed that Curtin was one of the finest sergeants within the New York City Police Department to lead his men. To this day, McCaffrey vividly remembers the positive attributes of Curtin as being a “devoted, reliable, and trustworthy cop.”

He saw the positive influence of the Marine Corps on the presence of Curtin who always stressed the importance of training, drilling his men and getting them to quickly think during all types of situations.

And while this Marine was a tough, no-nonsense individual, Curtin usually cooked his men a breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausage. McCaffrey recalled that Curtin was a “solid supervisor that always looked after his men that were highly trained for their difficult jobs.”

The bravery that Curtin demonstrated never subsided, and in 1999 he saved a trapped resident of a Harlem building before the structure collapsed.

September 11, 2001

On 9/11, as Curtin was planning to return home for his wife’s birthday, America was attacked. As our citizens were putting their children on school buses and handling their daily functions, this nation was hit by the sting of terrorism in Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and over the farm fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Right away, rescue workers headed toward the World Trade Center to help people escape the earliest moments of bin Laden’s assault on the United States. Curtin was with several other agency personnel who were quickly dispatched to aid others.

Never one to waver under any form of military or law enforcement duress, he was on hand to guide his men with the goal to save as many people as possible. Through this challenging chaos, Curtin and his fellow officers were in the middle of this attack that saw debris crashing around them, and thousands of people trying to flee from this terror. At 9:59 a.m., the South Tower collapsed, and it became apparent that the North Tower, also hit by an aircraft, would face the same the destruction.

As some of his men were several floors above him to assist others to escape the North Tower, Curtin directed those officers around him to immediately leave this building before it collapsed, and head for safety. He refused to follow them, as according to McCaffrey, he made the “conscious decision” to stay with those remaining men that were still in this building, even as he realized that this building was going to eventually fall. At 10:28 a.m., officers from Truck 2 who were ordered to leave this location, watched in dismay as the North Tower fell to the ground. They automatically realized that Curtin had passed away. He was one of 14 Emergency Services and Bomb Squad figures killed from these attacks on New York City.

Whereas the authorities knew where Curtin was buried in the rubble of Ground Zero, it took until March 6, 2002, to finally locate the remains of this 13-year veteran of the NYPD. His body was not fully removed until Helga Curtin and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly arrived at the location. They were met by an army of rescue workers, law enforcement, salvage crews and government officials who were silent as Curtin was taken out of the debris with a flag placed over his body. Within the early morning hours, the motorcade that held Curtin was heading up FDR Drive in Manhattan. The streets were lined with police officers that stopped the traffic and saluted the remains of Curtin, who was escorted by his wife and local law enforcement and military leadership. Four years after Curtin lost his life with other rescue workers, President George W. Bush (R) posthumously awarded public safety officers the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor for those men and women who died in uniform during these attacks.

When speaking to different members of Curtin’s family, the affection that they have for him has never diminished since he died. This Rocky Point High School student was a strong soccer player who worked at the local statuary on Route 25A. After he graduated in 1975, he enlisted into the Marine Corps. His strong, smart and kind presence is still missed by his entire family from Helga, and his daughters Jennifer, Heather and Erika, also younger loved ones who are immensely proud of his honorable achievements to support this country.

Annual golf outing

Over the last 17 years, Curtin’s cousin Mike Finnican has been instrumental in organizing an annual golf outing that has been held at Cherry Creek in Riverhead. This function’s main goal is to remember Curtin and the numerous rescue workers and military members who have supported this country since 9/11. Finnican reflected on the hospitality of Curtin, especially during a July 4, 2001, barbecue that saw his cousin wear his red, white and blue shorts as he cooked for his family and friends. Some 20 years later, Finnican looked over the fairways and greens at Cherry Creek to see more than 300 people attend a golf outing that was held July 12. Finnican, along with his wife, children, grandchildren and members of the Lukasz, Dwyer and Curtin families, all donated their time to support their 20th successful golf outing. During the day, younger family members and friends wore smiles on their faces to sell raffle tickets and T-shirts for the 3256 Foundation. One of these included Michael Sullivan, the 5-year-old grandson named after Curtin, who was present with his parents and his cousins to support this family tradition.

Mike Curtin’s daughter, Jen Sullivan, with her husband Jon and their children, Michael and Grace. Child on the left is McCormack Baker, grandson of Mike Finnican. Photo from Mike Finnican

Curtin’s custom was to be warm to others, and this week his family and friends continued his legacy in making every participant of this outing feel welcome during a special annual event. Most people who read about the heroic exploits that Curtin presented in the military and the NYPD marvel at the abilities of this local graduate to serve at home and abroad. But this highly capable figure rarely addressed his experience and Finnican stated that Curtin “was a good man that never bragged about his experiences that was absolutely loyal to his family.”

It is safe to say that Curtin’s name will be remembered for some time through this yearly golf outing. With a color guard and the sounds of bagpipes, laughter and stories that brought smiles to a crowd who listened intently about the professional stories of Curtin, it was easy to tell that everyone who played golf and attended the dinner had a grand time in honoring this hero. At the end of the night, there was a major raffle that saw people win televisions, video games, children’s toys, restaurant gift cards and an auction of sports memorabilia and baseball tickets.

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, there will be noticeable grief to remember the almost 3,000 people killed on that fateful day. But the golf outing had a surplus of smiles from the family members of Curtin and those law enforcement and military veterans who look forward to seeing each other to support this worthy endeavor.

The 3256 Foundation over the last two decades has created an important sense of comradery amongst its participants to never forget the moment that America was attacked. And this would not be possible if it were not for determination of Finnican and his team who have established one of the finest patriotic events in Suffolk County. Like Curtin, his family members are patriots who seek little fanfare, and they are motivated to reflect on a hero who spent his life defending this country in the Marines and always helping others in the NYPD.

May we never forget about rescue workers like Michael S. Curtin who were the earliest casualties of bin Laden’s attempt to harm the American way of life.

9/11 Responders remembered: A personal story

by Donna Deedy - September 19, 2019

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GodsHands 2 — Mark Gajewski a union operating engineer worked six months straight on clearing Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks.

Out of the twisted wreckage of two collapsed New York City skyscrapers, Mark Gajewski helped erect one of the most significant 9/11 artifacts: the steel Ground Zero cross.

The symbol touched people beyond the many emergency responders who found it a source of comfort and divine inspiration. For Gajewski’s only daughter, Crystal, the 17-foot cross is one small part of her father’s legacy. As an operating engineer, he helped clear away the World Trade Center debris. He died 10 years later from a rare form of lung cancer at the age of 52.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that it isn’t an artifact or special memento that makes a person a hero, but their innate intent to help others,” Crystal Gajewski said. “My father may not have received a medal and he will not appear in any textbooks, but to me and those that knew him best, he was one of the great unsung heroes.”

Gajewski rushed to the scene four hours after the towers fell, his daughter said, and was one of the first people to assess the situation.

“He worked six months straight without coming home at Ground Zero, nine months total,” she said.

At Ground Zero, Gajewski endured unthinkable trauma, both emotional and physical. He found human body parts in the rubble at the site, his daughter said, including the hands, bound at the wrist, of a flight attendant. And when he came down with strange ailments and coughing, his daughter said that doctors initially were perplexed. Because of his untimely death, the 9/11 cleanup worker never saw his son Sean graduate law school and become an attorney for the U.S. Coast Guard. He never got to meet his first grandchild, Mia.

Father Brian Jordan, from St. Francis Assisi church in New York City wants people to know that Mark Gajewski represents the thousands of union construction workers who completed the remarkable task of demolishing and removing the fallen building from the site.

“You hear about the dedication and the sacrifice of the fire fighters and police officers, but not the talented union construction workers: the operating engineers, the electricians, the welders, and others who performed an incredible task on time and under budget,” Jordan said. He also calls them unsung heroes.

Mark Gajewski’s name and the names of more than 1,200 other responders are engraved on a shiny, black granite wall in the 9/11 Responders Remembered Park on Smithtown Boulevard in Nesconset. This year, 206 more responders’ names were inscribed. Last year 163 names were added. So, the effects of 9/11 are still mounting. All of them, uniformed and nonuniformed have died of a 9/11-related illness. As the list grows, so does the crowd that attends the annual 9/11 Responders Remembered tribute. More than 500 people gathered on Sept. 14 for this year’s event.

Crystal Gajewski points out her father’s name at the 9/11 Responders Remembered Park.

Nesconset resident John Feal, a 9/11 responder, served as demolition supervisor for the cleanup and had part of his foot amputated after a steel beam fell on it. The tireless advocate built the park with the help of others. He has said that he has been to more than 180 funerals for responders and wants to ensure that all the people who fell ill and lost their lives as a consequence of responding to the disaster are remembered for their sacrifices. “No Responder Left Behind” is his motto. The Nesconset park, he said, is unique because it’s inclusive. The names of responders who died are not excluded because of where they lived or what job title they held, or whether or not they wore uniforms.

So, as the tragedy continues to take its toll, Crystal Gajewski and her family and the many other volunteers remain dedicated to preserving the honor and dignity of her father and all the other people who ultimately sacrificed their lives as a result of cleaning up the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks. She serves as volunteer vice president of the 9/11 Responders Remembered Park with John Feal and has created a separate foundation Ski’s Open Heart in her father’s honor.

Crystal said she hopes that her father’s story and the foundation she created for him inspires others to look within themselves and find time and the desire to help others.

Feature Photo by Crystal Gajewski

The Ground Zero Cross plaque welded by Gajewski.

The Ground Zero Cross Photos by Timothy M. Moore.

Centereach Fire Department, residents remember 9/11

by Rita J. Egan - September 12, 2019

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Centereach residents joined members of their fire department to remember those who were lost Sept, 11, 2001 in a memorial ceremony.

Held at the Centreach Fire Department’s headquarters on South Washington Avenue Sept. 11, the ceremony began with firefighter Bryan Elsesser singing the national anthem.

In addition to board of fire commissioners Chairman Thomas Doyle’s address to the crowd, a musical performance was provided by members of the Centereach High School Choir and a candlelight ceremony honored those who died.

Talat Hamdani was the first to light a candle in honor of her son Mohammad Salman Hamdani, who was a New York Police Department cadet and a first responder at Ground Zero.

After the ceremony, the fire department provided hamburgers, hot dogs and refreshments for those in attendance.

Setauket Fire District, residents come together to remember 9/11

by Rita J. Egan - September 12, 2019

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The Setauket Fire District hosted its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony at its Nicolls Road firehouse.

Firefighters, residents, legislators and scouts gathered in the district’s Sept. 11 Memorial Park to remember those who lost their life on Sept. 11, 2001.

After Chief Paul Rodier’s introductory remarks, state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), county Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) addressed the attendees. The ceremony culminated with a candle lighting ceremony.

9/11 ceremonies on the North Shore

by Heidi Sutton - September 9, 2018

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RockyPoint911_091117_Redding9 — Rocky Point firefighters remember those lost on 9/11 at a ceremony last year. Photo by Kevin Redding

Dear Readers,

Seventeen years ago, the United States changed forever when four hijacked jetliners were intentionally crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The following ceremonies will be held on the North Shore to honor the thousands of lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, a day that will live forever in our hearts.

Commack

The Commack School District will present A Night of Reflection in remembrance of 9/11 at the Heroes Memorial Track at the Commack High School football field, 1 Scholar Lane, Commack on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. Call 631-912-2000.

East Northport

The East Northport Fire Department, 1 Ninth Ave., East Northport will host two 9/11 memorial services on Sept. 11 — a morning ceremony at 9:45 a.m. and an evening candlelight vigil at 8 p.m. Call 631-261-0360.

Huntington

The public is invited to join Town of Huntington officials for a ceremony on Sept. 9 at noon at the Heckscher Park 9/11 memorial, 147 Main St., Huntington. Call 631-351-3012.

Port Jefferson

The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Vigiano Brothers Lodge 3436 invite the community to join them for a candlelight remembrance of 9/11 at Harborfront Park, 101 East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. Candles and refreshments will be provided. Call 631-928-7489.

Rocky Point

The Rocky Point Fire Department will host a ceremony at the 9/11 Community Memorial, at the corner of Route 25A and Tesla Street in Shoreham, on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Call 631-744-4102.

Setauket

The Setauket Fire Department will conduct a 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Hook and Ladder Company 1, Station 3, Nicolls Road, Setauket on Sept. 11 at 7:45 p.m. followed by refreshments in the firehouse. Call 631-941-4900, ext. 1043.

9/11 Labyrinth Walk

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket, will host an indoor candelit Labyrinth Walk for Rememberance on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. Come to remember and honor a loved one and bring a small memento of that person. Facilitated by Linda Mikell, the walk will be accompanied by the music of cellist Stephanie Iovine, right, and will be preceded by an explanation of the history and the use of the labyrinth. All are welcome. Free will donation. For more information, call 631-751-0297.

9/11 events across the North Shore honor those who were lost

by TBR Staff - September 12, 2017

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Remembrances and memorials were held across the North Shore Monday to honor those lost as a result of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001.

The Port Jefferson Fire Department held its annual 9/11 ceremony on the grounds of the department. The department’s flag was raised to half mast, a bell was rung to remember each of the Brookhaven Town residents who died that day and the Port Jefferson Middle School Orchestra accompanied the event with performances.

The Setauket Fire District held its annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the district’s Memorial Park on Nicolls Road in Stony Brook.

Residents, elected officials and firefighters from Rocky Point, Shoreham, Miller Place and beyond gathered at the Rocky Point Fire Department 9/11 Memorial Ceremony to honor those who lost their lives.

Hundreds of Huntington residents attended “We Stand United In Love,” a multi-faith candlelight prayer service remembering 9/11 and its victims in Heckscher Park.

This version will be updated with photos from more events.

Remembering 9/11 15 years later

by TBR Staff - September 14, 2016

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east-northport-9_11-2016_05w — Firemen salute the American flag during the East Northport Fire Department's 9/11 memorial on Sunday, Sept. 11. Photo by Kevin Redding

By Rich Acritelli

It was 15 years ago this week, Sept. 11, 2001, that Americans were putting their children on school buses and going about their daily routines when our nation was attacked. Terrorists boarded and later commandeered passenger planes that were fully loaded with fuel and flew them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The terrorists that took over Flight 93 originally planned to strike the Capital building or the White House, but cries of “Let’s roll” rang out, and the passengers fought back against the perpetrators.

While Mike Piazza of the New York Mets was an exceptional baseball player, he also served as a leader for his team and the community, and even helped with a humanitarian drive that was based out of Shea Stadium to aid the recovery workers. He spoke about that day during his Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech in July.

“To witness the darkest evil of the human heart and how it tore many loved ones from their families will forever be burned in my soul.”

— Mike Piazza

“Sept. 11, 2001 is a day that forever changed our lives. To witness the darkest evil of the human heart and how it tore many loved ones from their families will forever be burned in my soul,” the transplanted New Yorker, who was born in Philadelphia, said. “But from tragedy and sorrow came bravery, love, compassion, character and, eventually, healing. Many of you give me praise for the two-run home run on the first game back on Sept. 21 to push us ahead of the rival Braves. But the true praise belongs to police, firefighters, first responders, who knew they were going to die, but went forward anyway.”

The New York Yankees, who were in pursuit of another World Series title, visited firehouses, and players had tears in their eyes moments before they played in games.

Today, Americans are watching a hotly contested election. It was 15 years ago that many citizens put aside their political beliefs to be unified against a common enemy. Rescue crews traveled from all over the nation to head toward the remains of the World Trade Center, yellow ribbons were tied on trees across the United States and the undeniable will of our people was quickly demonstrated to the world. While it seems like yesterday that we watched these horrific events occur, there are current high school students that may have lost a parent that day. It is these boys and girls who were so young that they do not easily recollect their loved ones that were amongst the almost three thousand Americans killed tragically. This is not just another historic day to briefly remember — it is still with our citizens on a daily basis. Our children have lived under the heightened security at our airports, infrastructure centers like Pennsylvania Station and the George Washington Bridge, and during major sporting events. During every home game since 9/11, the New York Yankees invite veterans and rescue workers to be honored, as both teams line up to listen to “God Bless America.”

Our North Shore communities were a considerable distance from the destruction of the World Trade Center towers. But unflinchingly, local rescue and support workers from these towns traveled every day and spent hours away from their families to be at ground zero. May we never forget the sacrifices of members of these numerous agencies that are currently suffering from 9/11-related illnesses. It should also be remembered that while our North Shore towns are miles from the city, these communities and schools lost residents and graduates as a result of these acts of terrorism. Thank you to all our rescue workers and military branches that continue to protect the security and values of the United States, at home and abroad.

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