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Overlooking both The Rising Memorial and the recently added Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial, Westchester County Executive George Latimer joined with County residents to mark the solemn 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Latimer said: “21 years have passed since that tragic day. 21 years of a new world. While we have all have had our own experiences since that day, it is our shared experience that still brings us together. Since that shared experience, we have new loved ones to mourn due to that day, and this year we honor them by adding 25 additional names to the 9/11 First Responders Memorial. We mourn, remember and continually say the names of those we have lost, for they will never be forgotten.”
The County’s ceremony, emceed by News12 Journalist Lisa LaRocca and overlooking the beautiful Kensico Dam, was a service marked with moving speeches, music and solemn prayers by Reverend Tim Dalton, Imam Shaffieq Chace, and Rabbi Scott Weiner.
LaRocca said: “I've spent just about every 9/11 anniversary reporting live from The Rising since the unveiling of this beautiful monument which honors our Westchester County neighbors who were lost on that terrible day. Over the years, I've met many friends and family members who come to this special place to remember their loved ones, so to be chosen to serve as emcee for The Westchester County 9/11 Memorial Ceremony is truly an honor.”
The ceremony opened with a procession by the Westchester County Department of Public Safety Ceremonial Unit Color Guard, the Pipes and Drums of the Police Emerald Society of Westchester County and representatives from various fire departments County-wide.
White Plains Department of Public Safety Commissioner, and 9/11 First Responder David Chong, then led the ceremony attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by County Department of Correction Sergeant Joetta Crump’s singing of the National Anthem.
The solemn occasion was then marked by the laying of a wreath by Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, Department of Emergency Services Commissioner Richard Wishnie, Acting Department of Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor, Lisabeta Vukaj, sister of Simon Marash Dedvukaj who was killed in the north tower, and Sarah, Oliva and Anna Woods, the wife and daughters of 9/11 First Responder Sergeant Peter Woods. Woods was a member of the NYPD, Hartsdale Fire Commissioner & Co-Chair of the Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial. Woods succumbed to a 9/11 related illness prior to the public unveiling of the now one year old memorial.
Board of Legislators Chairwoman Catherine Borgia then gave remarks. Borgia said: “It is important for us to gather every year to honor those lost on Sept. 11th and from serving the rescue and cleanup during the weeks following the attack. Memorial services like this remind us that when communities come together we reinforce our love for each other and the strength we have when we stand together.”
The day prior to the ceremony, Sept. 10, Latimer was joined by family members of those who have passed from 9/11 related illnesses for a private unveiling of the 25 new names added to the County’s 9/11 First Responders Memorial. This one-year-old monument, placed next to The Rising at Kensico Dam Plaza, was designed by a committee made up of loved ones of those lost.
Committee Co- Chairs New York City Police Officer Matthew J. McCauley and Georgia Asciutto said: “On behalf of the families of Westchester's Fallen 9/11 First Responders, we thank County Executive George Latimer for his leadership, support and unwavering commitment to our lost heroes and his resolve to keeping their memories alive and their contributions honored.”
Last year at the public unveiling of the new memorial, an Eternal Light was lit. A light that will shine 24/7 over the memorial as a testament to the light shone over this County by the heroes this monument is dedicated to.
The ceremony continued on with the reading of the names of those Westchester residents killed on 9/11 and those Westchester residents who have died from 9/11 related illnesses by Westchester County Legislators, District Attorney Miriam Rocah, County Clerk Tim Idoni and family members of those lost.
Names of those lost on 9/11:
- William Abrahamson
- Peter Craig Alderman
- Kazuhiro Anai
- Sharon Balkcom
- Yelena Belilovsky
- Michael J. Berkeley
- George Bishop
- Michael A. Boccardi
- Michelle Renee Bratton
- Thomas M. Brennan
- Jonathan Eric Briley
- Mark Brisman
- Lloyd Brown
- Ronald Bucca
- Tom Burke
- Mary T. Caulfield
- Alex Ciccone
- Kevin Francis Cleary
- Robert J. Coll
- Helen Crossin-Kittle
- Joan Cullinan
- Patrick W. Danahy
- Dwight Darcy
- Marisa DiNardo
- Simon A. Dhanani
- John J. Doherty
- Christopher Michael Duffy
- Paul Fiori
- Thomas Fitzpatrick
- Simon Dedvukaj
- Kevin Joseph Frawley
- Alan W. Friedlander
- John Patrick Gallagher
- Charles Garbarini
- Peter Gelinas
- Kieran Joseph Gorman
- Yugi Goya
- Gary Haag
- Richard B. Hall
- Vincent Halloran
- Ward Haynes
- Nobuhiro Hayatsu
- Katsuyuki Hirai
- Thomas Warren Hohlweck, Jr.
- Montgomery McCullogh Hord
- Louis Steven Inghilterra
- Ariel Louis Jacobs
- Arthur Joseph Jones
- Douglas G. Karpiloff
- Satoshi Kikuchihara
- Takashi Kinoshita
- Glenn Kirwin
- Richard J. Klares
- Gary Koecheler
- Vanessa Langer
- Denis Lavelle
- Joseph Leavey
- Michael A. Lepore
- Richard Lynch, Jr.
- Michael J. Lyons
- Katie Marie McCloskey
- John T. McErlean, Jr.
- Francis McGuinn
- Michael McHugh, Jr.
- Barry J. McKeon
- Robert C. McLaughlin, Jr.
- Christopher D. Mello
- Yamel Merino
- William Minardi
- Krishna V. Moorthy
- George Morell
- Dennis Moroney
- Takuya Nakamura
- Soichi Numata
- James A. Oakley
- Diana J. O'Connor
- Amy O’Doherty
- Marni Pont O'Doherty
- Samuel Oitice
- Sean Gordon Corbett O'Neill
- Chris Orgielewicz
- Timothy F. O’Sullivan
- Michael B. Packer
- Thomas Palazzo
- James Nicholas Pappageorge
- William H. Pohlmann
- Hemanth Kumar Puttur
- Vincent A. Princiotta
- Valsa Raju
- Robert A. Rasmussen
- John Reo
- Joseph R. Riverso
- Gregory E. Rodriguez
- Edward Ryan
- Tatiana Ryjova
- Sam Salvo
- Eric Sand
- Robert Scandole
- Marian Serva
- Daniel Shea
- Joseph Shea
- Linda Sheehan
- Thomas J. Shubert
- Allan Schwartzstein
- David Silver
- Michael John Simon
- Thomas E. Sinton III
- Rochelle M. Snell
- Robert Speisman
- Joseph P. Spor, Jr.
- Timothy C. Stout
- John Swaine
- Sean Patrick Tallon
- Michael A. Tamuccio
- Kenichiro Tanaka
- Joanna Vidal
- Jeffrey Walz
- James Arthur Waring
- Timothy Matthew Welty
- William Wik
- Marc Zeplin
- Ivelin Ziminski
- Joseph J. Zuccala
Names read of those lost to 9/11 Related Illnesses:
- Firefighter Gary S. Allo, White Plains Fire Department
- Police Officer Christopher M. Barry, NYPD
- Deputy Chief Daniel J. Bayles, New York County District Attorney's Office
- Sergeant Patrick J. Boyle, NYPD
- Battalion Chief Kevin R. Byrnes, FDNY
- Firefighter Jef Campion, Yonkers Fire Department
- Director Benedict J. Cecere, DSNY
- Foreman Dennis E. Ciallela, Mount Vernon Department of Public Works
- Volunteer Haydee Cleary, Salvation Army
- Sergeant Patrick T. Coyne, NYPD
- John M. Cozza, Construction Industry
- Police Officer George F. Darini, NYPD
- Emergency Medical Technican, Louis de Pena Jr., FDNY
- Correction Officer Scott W. Delfa, Westchester County Department of Correction
- Environmental Health and Safety Engineering Manager Gerard J. Derosa, Con Edison
- Police Officer Kenneth X. Domenech, NYPD
- Lieutenant Clark W. Douglass, White Plains Fire Department
- Captain James A. Drohan Sr., Ossining Fire Department
- Police Officer Nicholas G. Finelli, NYPD
- Carpenter Seamus G. Finnerty, NYCDOE
- Firefighter Daniel R. Foley, FDNY
- Detective Mark S. Gado, New Rochelle Police Department
- Paramedic Scott D. Galletta Sr., FDNY
- Richard A. Grace, Construction Industry
- Commissioner Peter S. Guyett, Yonkers Fire Department
- Firefighter Herbert D. Harriott, Rye Fire Department
- Police Officer Joseph F. Heid, NYPD
- Executive Director Stephan Hittmann, FDNY
- Police Officer John G. Horan, NYPD
- Detective Michael A. Houlahan, NYPD
- Police Officer Stanley J. Kasper, Yonkers Police Department
- John A. LoBianco, Construction Industry
- Director Gwynne K. MacPherson-Williams, DHS
- Police Officer Anthony Maggiore, Yonkers Police Department
- Police Officer Walter L. Mallinson, Harrison Police Department
- Firefighter Gary J. Martin, White Plains Fire Department
- Captain Edward J. McGreal, NYPD
- Lieutenant Roy D. McLaughlin, Yonkers Police Department
- Firefighter Robert A. Mentrasti, Fairview Fire Department
- Detective James W. Monahan, NYPD
- Lieutenant John W. Moran, FDNY
- Battalion Chief Dennis J. Moynihan, FDNY
- Firefighter Kevin J. Nolan, FDNY
- Police Officer Kathleen O'Connor-Funigiello, New Rochelle Police Department
- Firefighter Michael R. O'Hanlon, FDNY
- Captain Ronald G. Peifer Sr., NYPD
- Firefighter John V. Peteani Jr., Yonkers Fire Department
- Captain Philip A. Pinto Jr., Eastchester Fire Department
- Richard Regis, Wall Street Journal
- Police Officer Richard E. Riegel, NYPD
- Firefighter Eduardo A. Rivera, Yonkers Fire Department
- Supervisor Phillip M. Rizzuto, DSNY
- Lieutenant John M. Rodriguez, Yonkers Fire Department
- Detective Joseph E. Seabrook, NYPD
- Police Officer Peter Sheridan Jr., NYPD
- Captain Robert J. Spatta, Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department
- Deputy Chief Frank G. Strollo, New Rochelle Fire Department
- James P. Sullivan, NYC Transit Authority
- Captain Dennis P. Tortorella, Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department
- Firefighter Neill S. Tyndal Jr., Yonkers Fire Department
- Lieutenant John Veteri, Larchmont Fire Department
- Assistant Chief Roger Vitolo, Yonkers Fire Department
- Firefighter Joseph A. Walsh, FDNY
- Detective Charles J. Wassil Jr., Peekskill Police Department
- Lieutenant Marden C. Wolf, White Plains Fire Department
- Sergeant Peter C. Woods, NYPD
The tribute concluded with a moment of silence, flyover by County Police, a performance of Taps by Mount Pleasant Police Officer Peter Blume. Musicians from SUNY Purchase then played as attendees made their way to The Rising and the 9/11 First Responders Memorial.