Moving 9/11 Remembrance Service Elicits Tears, Memories: Photos

PECONIC, NY — Tears and memories marked the night as the largest crowd in recent memory turned out Tuesday for a somber "Remember 9/11" service at Cochran Park in Peconic.

The event, organized by Southold Town's 9/11 Committee and the Southold Town Fire Chiefs Council, included a special ceremony at 6:30 p.m. by Division 8 of the Southold Town Fire Department which included members of the NJROTC. Those in attendance placed 2,977 flags at the park in memory of souls lost that day.

Bruno Semon, former Chief of the Orient Department, thanked those in attendance and said the service was held not just to honor those lost on 9/11, but also, the lives of all who have served in all the fire departments across Southold Town, whose names are commemorated on bricks at the memorial.

Chaplain Thomas Roslak said just as hearts mourn, so, too, do they fill with joy at the courage and humanity demonstrated by heroes on 9/11.

Bagpipes played throughout the somber service. Amidst the sadness were Scouts, some too young to remember 9/11, their innocent smiles and joy a reminder that even the smallest can carry on the legacy of honoring those who made the greatest sacrifice. And despite the blanket of grief, a newborn baby, his father Greenport Fire Chief Jeffrey Weingart, was a shining symbol of hope — a sweet reminder of the enduring legacy of service and dedication shared by the forever brotherhood of firefighters, passed on proudly through generations.

Patch photos by Lisa Finn.