Nanuet Fire Department's 9/11 Ceremony at Nanuet School Memorial

Tucked away behind Barr Middle School is a 9/11 memorial and the Nanuet Fire Department held a ceremony on Sunday to honor those that lost their lives from the attacks of September 11, 2001.

“We haven’t done a ceremony like this since the dedication,” said Nanuet Fire Department Commissioner Vincent Pacella. “It’s hidden here and no know really knows that it’s here. People called me, ‘I didn’t know that there was a memorial back there.’ I said, ‘Yeah, it’s been there for quite some time.’”

Pacella added that the theme of the memorial is “to remember and reflect.”

The ceremony began with the Nanuet Fire Department presentation of colors followed by the “Star Spangled Banner” sung by the Nanuet High School Concert Choir under the direction of Jack Gremli and Dianna Bullard. Then there was an invocation from Chaplain John Maloney.

“We come here this morning to remember, not so much the mind-boggling sights and sounds of that morning of 9/11 ten years ago, but to remember with pride and love and devotion of our fellow citizens, especially those from Nanuet and Rockland County, who perished in that holocaust of hate,” said Maloney.

Clarkstown Town Supervisor Alex Gromack and Pacella then made a few remarks. Please watch the attached video for their full remarks.

“I think we reflect 10 years ago today, and slowly, day by day, week by week, year by year, we move forward, but the pain and the grief—for all of us and for those so personally attached to that day that lost loved ones—will never go away,” said Gromack.

“No words, no ceremony, no plaques, no stones, no amount of tears will ever replace our losses, but this memorial can provide us with a solemn place to remember and to reflect and to move on each in our own way,” said Pacella.

The Nanuet High School String Quintet then played “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Unger under the direction of Katherine Rife. They only had two and a half days to rehearse.

“They prepared quickly and learned a new song,” said Nanuet’s Music Director Gremli.

“It’s a really beautiful song and it’s natural to play it here,” said Stefanie Wu, who played violin in the quintet. “We’ve played it at different things before, like other memorials. It’s very appropriate.”

Then the Pacella did the Reading of the Names and someone came up to place flowers for each person:

John D’Allara – NYPD Emergency Service Unit

Laura Longing – Marsh & McLennan, Class of 1984

William Lum Jr. – Marsh & McLennan, Class of 1974

Myrna Maldonado – Port Authority of NY/NJ, Class of 1970

Joseph Marchbanks Jr. – Battalion Chief FDNY

David Ortiz – Port Authority of NY/NJ

James Woods – Cantor Fitzgerald, Class of 1993

David Wooley – Captain FDNY

Loretta Vero – American Express

The ceremony was concluded with the Concert Choir singing “You Raise Me Up” and a benediction from Maloney.

“It was a terrible thing,” said Caterina Fasano reflecting back on 9/11. She brought flowers up for Laura Longing. “People can never forget.”

“My feelings are the same as they were ten years ago when it happened,” said Howard Gerber, Judge and First Assistant Chief in Valley Cottage FD. “The reality of it is that in a few seconds, our lives changed forever. While there is some normalcy in our lives, nothing will ever be the same. The important thing is to never forget.”

“It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years,” said George Hoehmann, Clarkstown Councilman and Nanuet Resident. “It feels like it was just yesterday. For families that lost loved ones, they feel it’s effects everyday.”

“I remember where I was. (When 9/11 happened). I was in New City. The lady who worked with me got a call from her daughter who works down in the city,” said Krista Vasti, Nanuet Resident. “She then looked at me and told me that this was no accident.”

After 9/11 occurred, the children at George Miller Elementary drew up water bottle labels. They wrote, “We Care, Children of George Miller School” on printer paper, decorated it and taped it to water bottles. The cases of water were then shipped down to Ground Zero. Then a few days later, an FDNY firefighter walks into the school’s main office in full gear, dirty and covered in soot.

It was Bob Jackson, who is the county legislator representing Nanuet today. He held up a water bottle asking to see the student that drew the label. It was a second grader in Teacher Jayne Levin’s class. Jackson was escorted to Levin’s classroom, knocked on the door and thanked the class. He told the students that the firefighters at Ground Zero were exhausted and the water bottles were very much appreciated.