Greenwich Marks 23rd Anniversary Of 9/11 With Ceremony In Cos Cob

GREENWICH, CT — The mood was somber inside Cos Cob Park on Wednesday morning, as the Greenwich community gathered to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

A crowd of over 150 people —including numerous elected officials, first responders, and the Greenwich Police Honor Guard — came together in the parking lot of the park near the 9/11 memorial, which sits on a bluff overlooking the Long Island Sound and displays the 33 names of Greenwich residents who died in the attacks.

Cannons were fired to observe the time when each plane struck the Twin Towers, when the Pentagon was hit, when the towers fell, and when United Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

The names of each victim with Greenwich ties were read, accompanied by the ringing of a bell.
Greenwich resident Wells Noonan, who lost her older brother, Robert, on 9/11, and helps organize the remembrance ceremony each year, served as the keynote speaker Wednesday.

On 9/11, Robert was a broker at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of One World Trade Center.

"The desperate panic we felt trying to find him in the aftermath was indescribable. Friends searched, posted pictures, and kept a home base full of food, warm letters of sympathy, laughter and shoulders to cry on. My entire extended family came together. We cried, danced and sang all in the honor of our love for each other. Those days were bearable because of the community that surrounded us," Noonan said.

"In my heart, I believe my brother, who was a marine, died for his country on home soil. I've had to work hard to face the days, weeks, months, and years without my brother. The survivor's guilt was real, every milestone and holiday brought a sickening feeling knowing he'd never have another."

Noonan noted there are days she avoids things that might trigger her PTSD, but Robert is never far away.

"He was a kind and gentle person who always had the best intentions, but was often caught with his hand in the cookie jar," Noonan said. "The joy he brought to people was intoxicating. Robie was always making people laugh with his comedic talent. He was simple, simply the best, and I was proud to be his little sister. He deserves justice. We all do. I just hope it's in my parents' lifetime."

For the past 23 years, Noonan said she has tried to make sense of her brother's death.

"I will never get over this, only through it, and I've accepted that," she said.

Noonan has largely avoided anything related to September 11, but in the winter of 2023, she was invited to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba to witness the pretrial proceedings for the United States Department of Defense's military commission.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, and other detainees and terror suspects are currently being held at Guantanamo Bay.

"I believe it's crucial for all family members to be aware of what's happening at the military commission in Guantanamo," Noonan said. "Our presence serves as a stark reminder and motivation to seek justice and closure. My first time down was emotionally challenging. Seeing the terrorists in person was a moment that changed me forever. I locked eyes with my brothers' murderers, I stood tall, I spread my warrior wings and I felt a purpose. After my last visit, I am now certain KSM knows exactly who Wells Noonan is."

Noonan went on to say she's determined to get justice for her brother and those affected by the attacks.

Earlier this summer, pre-trial agreements were struck with Mohammed and his co-defendants that exchanged life sentences for guilty pleas, but the agreements were ultimately reversed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"I have a growing fear detainees will age out of the facility due to medical issues or being released or traded without ever being convicted. We've already gone through enough judges and other high-ranking officials at the commission. We deserve finality and closure, and if death is required, then let's go to trial," Noonan said. "I believe in our country and the commission, I'm proud to be American, and I want justice and security for our children's future."

First Selectman Fred Camillo also gave brief remarks during Wednesday's ceremony. He called 9/11 "one of the darkest days in American history," and he hoped remembrance ceremonies like the one on Wednesday will continue for decades to come.

"It's easy to think that when you look in the rearview mirror that this will fade eventually and people will forget, but when you think about the people who were there that day — the first responders and the loved ones of all those who perished — the day will never be forgotten," Camillo said. "As long as we all come here to events like this today and the years to come, it will guarantee that these will continue long after we're gone. We just hope they will feel the same thing we feel here today."

At the conclusion of the remarks, guests walked up a winding path to the tune of bagpipes and placed flowers at the base of the 9/11 memorial.

Greenwich was scheduled to hold a second remembrance ceremony Wednesday night at the Glenville Volunteer Fire Company.