Photo By Staff Sgt. Alejandro Canizales | A remembrance ceremony on Sunday in Ft. Totten, N.Y. honored six soldiers who made the...... read more read more
FORT TOTTEN, N.Y. – A remembrance ceremony here Sunday honored six soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while conducting rescue operations during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony is an annual event held at the 77th Memorial Grove on the grounds of the Ernie Pyle United States Army Reserve Center in Ft. Totten. Service members, firefighters, policemen and their family and friends gathered to remember the heroes and victims of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.
Lt. Col. William Polhman, Capt. Mark Whitford, Capt. Michael Mullan, Warrant Officer Ronald Bucca, Staff Sgt. Frederick Ill, and Sgt. Shawn Powell were all Soldiers as well as New York firefighters who risked their lives to protect the lives of others.
Soldiers who serve in the Army Reserve often have civilian occupations that complement their military skills sets. These citizen soldiers are often called to duty and assume the dangerous missions that the military entrust them with. In the case of civil servants like New York City Fire Fighters and Policemen, these service members risk their lives to keep the public safe every day they put on either uniform.
The USO provided breakfast and refreshments for the ceremony. The USO is a nonprofit organization that provides free services and entertainment to service members at airports and other transportation hubs, according to Tony Rivas, the USO manager at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. The USO has helped out the ceremony attendees in years past as well.
“The ceremony was extremely beautiful, heart warming and extremely professional. I got a sense from the families at the ceremony that they were sad because of their loss; but so grateful for the ceremony,” said Rivas.
The ceremony opened with the Star Spangled banner. High school and college aged singers of New Generation; a choir from East Orange, New Jersey sang the national anthem. The director of New Generation is Jamal Barnes who is the brother of Staff Sgt. David Grimes, a New York City native and part of the 1st Mobilization Support Group here. Grimes invited the professional music group to come sing at the ceremony.
This year’s Master of Ceremony was Master Sergeant Jeffrey Browne. The keynote speaker was Retired Major General George E. Barker.
Barker echoed the words of Former President George W. Bush’s 9/11 Address to the Nation during his speech, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”
After the opening speeches, family members of the heroes placed flowers on the memorial alongside the service members’ helmets propped on their service rifles. In the background, a somber Irish bagpipe could be heard. Irish immigrants in the United States brought the tradition of playing bagpipes during funerals and this is now a NY Fire Department and Police Department tradition.
A six-gun salute further echoed the sentiment and gratitude to the fallen heroes and concluded the ceremony.
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2015 22:15 |
| Story ID: | 176464 |
| Location: | FT. TOTTEN, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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