Twenty-two years from Sept. 11, 2001, the city of Syracuse remembers those who lost their lives following the attacks on the nation.
In Syracuse’s Forman Park, first responders, elected officials and community members gathered to remember and honor the people killed by the attacks on 9/11. Emergency tones rang out, marking the times the South and North Towers of the World Trade Center were struck, and participants observed 17 minutes of silence to honor the first responders who gave their lives serving their country. For Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile, those 17 minutes give him the opportunity to reflect on the bravery and dedication of the first responders at ground zero.
“I keep running the videos over and over in my mind,” Cecile said. “I can’t get them out of my head. I was a sergeant at the time when it happened, I remember seeing the first tower go down and then just glued to the TV as much as I could.”
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said taking time to remember today is not only a way to honor first responders, but to educate the generations that came after the events.
“I think it is important that all of our kids, and everyone that came after Sept. 11, understand the significance of those events and the impact that they had on our nation and each of us individually,” Walsh said.
Former Syracuse Fire Chief Mark McLees remembers responding to the call and traveling to ground zero to support first responders.
“We were there for cuts and bruises, breaks and sprains, anything that the first responders were getting, we were there to help support them,” McLees said.
McLees said while it’s easy for him and other New York responders to remember 9/11, it’s important that communities continue to remember.
“This is thankfully and hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime event for this country, but we can’t forget it,” McLees said.
