[00:00:05]
I THINK, UH, SORRY, I DON'T WANNA STAY AT THE PODIUM, SO I'M GONNA MOVE.
UM, I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW ME, BUT I, I AM TOM DRAKE, THE MAYOR OF THIS AMAZING VILLAGE, AND IT'S MY HONOR TO BE HERE WITH ALL OF YOU THIS EVENING.
UM, THEY STILL HAVE ONE MORE SONG TO PLAY, BUT FIRST 'CAUSE THEN THEY GOTTA GO.
UH, UH, BUT FIRST I WANT TO INTRODUCE THIS AMAZING GROUP WHO'S JUST VOLUNTEER, VOLUNTEERING TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
KEN, TV ELLO VILLAGE, TRUSTEE DOUGLAS ALLGOOD, AND THE MASTER OF ALL ADAM HART.
SO PLEASE THANK THEM, UH, VERY MUCH FOR PLAYING THIS EVENING FOR US IN YEARS PAST.
WE, WE'VE BEEN CONDUCTING, UH, THIS CEREMONY FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UH, I KNOW PATTY CHIKA ZA WAS ONE OF THE SPEARHEADS OF THIS EVENT, ALONG WITH LISA O'REILLY, WHO'S, UH, SINCE RETIRED AND, UH, COULDN'T MAKE IT THIS EVENING.
WE WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE FORMALITY TO THE EVENING, AND, AND THIS EVENING WE WILL TRANSITION TO EXACTLY WHAT IT HAS BEEN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WHERE WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME UP AND SPEAK.
AND WE'VE HAD TESTIMONIALS AND REMEMBRANCES, AND WE'VE HAD RETIRED NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTERS COME UP AND SPEAK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE.
WE'VE HAD FAMILY MEMBERS OF, OF MEMBERS, UH, THAT WERE AT GROUND ZERO AND HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND THIS WILL TRANSITION TO THAT AT ONE POINT.
I'M A VETERAN, I'M A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER AND VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER.
AND I, I WANTED TO ADD SOME FORMALITY, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS EVENING ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY.
SO IF YOU COULD, UH, I'D LIKE TO CALL JAY WARNER UP, UH, WHO'S GONNA SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
SHE'S A SENIOR AT HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, AND IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR, SHE COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY DR.
BILL MCKERTY, WHO'S ALSO HERE THIS EVENING.
YOU SEE, SO PROUDLY WE, THE, THE
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NOT YOU.THANK YOU SO MUCH, JAY, YOU GUYS, THIS IS A SING ALONG EVERYONE.
YOU WITH BROTHER AND FROM SHINING ALL BEAUTIFUL THAT YOU COULD.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE FORMAL TITLE ON HIS AND ADAM HART.
AS WE APPROACH THIS DAY, I, I TRIED TO COME UP WITH A LONG, LENGTHY SPEECH TO, UH, BORE EVERYONE WITH THIS EVENING, AND I, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS FAIR BECAUSE THE, THE WAY THIS EVENING HAS BEEN RUN IN THE PAST IS IT'S, IT'S ALMOST AN OPEN MIC, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I APPRECIATED.
AND I THINK A LOT OF YOU, PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN HERE IN THE PAST HAVE APPRECIATED IT.
THE OTHER SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS LOCATION IS RIGHT HERE IN OUR VIEW.
UH, I SAID IN THE MAYOR'S MESSAGE TODAY TO THE VILLAGE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED, WHEN THIS ATTACK HAPPENED, I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE I WAS.
I WAS A LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER IN SOUTH GEORGIA, AND I INSTANTLY THOUGHT ABOUT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN NEW YORK WHO WERE FACING PROBABLY THE HARDEST TIME OF THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.
AND THEN WORD CAME IN OF FRIENDS THAT I'D WORKED WITH IN THE NYPD THAT, THAT WERE MISSING, AND FIREFIGHTERS THAT I KNEW THAT WERE COPS THAT BECAME FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE MISSING.
UH, SOMEBODY FROM HASTINGS AT FIRST WAS POSSIBLY MISSING, UH, ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS.
SO THE EMOTIONS BEGAN ROLLING FOR ALL OF US.
AND I FELT LIKE, AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST IS ALLOW FOR EVERYONE HERE TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE AND SPEAK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES.
WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT TODAY IS IT COINCIDES WITH THE JEWISH NEW YEAR, AND WE NORMALLY START AT 7:30 PM BECAUSE WE STAY HERE UNTIL WE CAN SEE THE LIGHTS FROM GROUND ZERO, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE HASTINGS STOOD ON THAT DAY.
THE RESIDENTS CAME HERE, MANY, MANY RESIDENTS CAME HERE AND WATCHED NEW YORK CITY HOPELESSLY AND, AND SAW EVERYTHING THAT THEY COULD SEE FROM THIS LOCATION THAT DAY.
AND THEN EACH EVENING, WE'VE NOW STAYED HERE UNTIL THE LIGHTS CAN BE SEEN.
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HAVE TO HONOR THE JEWISH NEW YEAR THIS EVENING, AND THAT THEIR SERVICES BEGIN AT SEVEN 30.AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US ALL AS WELL.
ONE OF MY TAKEAWAYS, I AM CATHOLIC.
I ADMIT THAT
WE WERE IN AN EVENT TOGETHER, AND HE TOLD ME ABOUT ONE OF THE TRADITIONS THAT OCCURS THIS WEEKEND ABOUT HOW PEOPLE OF THE JEWISH FAITH WILL GO TO THE WATER, AND THEY THROW BREADCRUMBS AS A WAY OF CASTING AWAY THEIR SINS.
AND THIS STARTED TO MAKE ME THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT RITUALS THAT OCCUR, UH, IN THE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS.
WE CONFESS OUR SINS TO REAFFIRM OUR FAITH.
I VIEW THAT AS A REAFFIRMATION OF A FAITH AT THAT POINT.
THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT FROM MY FATE, UH, AS AN OUTSIDER LOOKING IN.
I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO A LONG, DRAWN OUT SPEECH TODAY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS, AND AND I CAN TELL YOU I WHOLEHEARTEDLY DISAGREE WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON IN, IN WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW, BUT I BELIEVE IN THIS COUNTRY, AND LET'S USE THIS DAY TO REAFFIRM OUR FAITH, AT LEAST IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE CAN DISAGREE WITH ALL THE POLITICS AND THE CHAOS AND JUST THE ABSOLUTE CRAZINESS THAT'S OCCURRING IN WASHINGTON DC RIGHT NOW.
BUT LET'S CONTINUE TO BE AMERICANS AND AT LEAST STRENGTHEN EACH OTHER AND LIFT EACH OTHER UP JUST LIKE WE DID 25 YEARS AGO.
AND WE ALL STOOD BY EACH OTHER, SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.
LET'S JUST CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE POLITICS.
WHERE IS HE? NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY, OR EXCUSE ME, WESTCHESTER COUNTY LE UH, LEGISLATOR.
I MEMORIAL IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
GREENBERG COUNCIL MEMBER ELLEN HENDRICKS IS DEFINITELY NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
FORMER MAYOR LEE CANAL IS DEFINITELY NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
FORMER MAYOR PETER KY, I THINK I SAW WALKING UP, I'M SURE IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
TRUSTEE SAMANTHA MERTON IS PROBABLY NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
TRUSTEE MALIKA SUNBURG IS DEFINITELY NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
THIS IS MY WAY OF INTRODUCING ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS,
UM, BUT NONE OF US ARE HAPPY ABOUT IT.
BUT WE STILL REAFFIRM OUR FAITH IN THIS COUNTRY, THIS VILLAGE, THIS TOWN, THIS COUNTY, THIS STATE IN THIS COUNTRY.
REAFFIRM YOUR FAITH, AT LEAST IN THE COUNTRY, HATE EVERYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO HATE, ACTUALLY DON'T DO HATE, BUT
BUT REAFFIRM YOUR FAITH IN THIS COUNTRY FOR ME TODAY.
UM, DON'T WORRY, DAVID, YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE THERE.
UH, I HAVE TO THANK THE HASTINGS ON HUDSON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO'S HERE GIVING, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING US WITH AN HONOR GUARD TODAY.
HASTINGS ON HUDSON, VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT, BUT THEY RESPONDED ON NINE 11 AS WELL.
THE HASTINGS ON HUDSON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ACTIVATED TO RESPOND TO THE BRONX.
I THINK THEY BEGAN AT YONKERS RACEWAY AS A STAGING AREA.
THEY ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS FROM THE, FROM THE REGION, BRAND NEW SYSTEM, ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS FROM THE REGION ALL CAME TO YONKERS RACEWAY, A STAGING AREA WHERE THEN THEY WERE DETAILED OUT TO FIRE STATIONS ALL AROUND THE BRONX.
AND THE HASTINGS ON HU HUDSON FIRE DEPARTMENT DID RESPOND TO THAT.
AND OUR AMBULANCE CORPS RESPONDED DOWN TO GROUND ZERO ITSELF.
UH, SO THANK YOU TO THE HASTINGS VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL CALL SECURITY THAT DAY.
I'VE INTRODUCED ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND FORMER ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
BUT I'D LIKE TO CALL DAVID EMMA MORA, UH, UP TO SPEAK.
AND IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN USE THAT.
THANK YOU, DOUG, FOR THAT AMAZING RENDITION.
UH, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TO THE, YOU KNOW, UH, THE PERSON WHO SANG THE STAR SINGING BANNER.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY AMAZING, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, MY TAKEAWAY FROM TODAY IS DON'T DO HATE, BECAUSE TOM DRE TOLD ME TO NOT DO HAITI.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, TODAY ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NINE 11, YOU KNOW, I STAND HERE TODAY, NOT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, BUT AS A SCARED EIGHTH GRADER AT IRVINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHO WANTED TO KNOW IF HIS PARENTS WERE COMING HOME THAT DAY.
AND LIKE MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE RIVER TOWNS, I ALSO WENT TO THE HUDSON RIVER, AND I ALSO LOOKED DOWN THE HUDSON TO SEE THE SMOKE RISING FROM THE TOWERS, YOU KNOW, EACH NINE 11.
FOR ME, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO CONCEPTUALIZE THE LOSS OF 3000 PEOPLE.
SO I ALWAYS TRY TO FIND ONE OR TWO STORIES THAT ENCAPSULATE AN INDIVIDUAL LOSS.
AND TODAY, I THINK ABOUT MARISSA DENARDO, WHO ACTUALLY GREW UP IN WESTCHESTER.
SHE GREW UP IN EAST HARRISON, AND IN 2001, SHE WAS 38, THE SAME AGE I AM TODAY.
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AND SHE WORKED AT CANTOR FITZGERALD ON THE HUNDRED FIFTH FLOOR OF THE NORTH TOWER.AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE A GOOD DAUGHTER, SHE TOOK HER MOM OUT TO DINNER FOR HER MOM'S BIRTHDAY.
AND HER MOM'S BIRTHDAY THAT YEAR WAS, WAS SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2001.
AND SHE TOOK HER MOM TO A RESTAURANT SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO.
AND SHE TOOK HER MOM TO WINDOWS ON THE WORLD.
AND SHE, UH, HER MOM HAS THIS STORY, HOW SHE WAS LOOKING OUT AT THE LIGHTS ON THE MANHATTAN SKYLINE FROM WINDOWS ON THE WORLD, LOOKING OUT FROM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING OUT THE CROSS AT THE PANORAMIC VIEW OF MANHATTAN, OF THE SKYSCRAPERS AND REMARK, HOW AMAZING IT WAS.
AND HER DAUGHTER, MARISSA SAID, WELL, MOM, I'M TAKING YOU TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD TODAY.
AND THE NEXT DAY, UH, MARISSA'S MOM CAME BACK TO WESTCHESTER AND SHE WATCHED ON TV THE TOWERS FALL.
AND HER MOM DIDN'T TRULY BELIEVE THAT HER DAUGHTER WAS GONE.
SHE THOUGHT SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE HER DAUGHTER HAD GONE NOW.
AND IT WAS ONLY WHEN THE NYPD CALLED HER AND SAID, WE THINK YOU HAVE, WE HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER'S POCKETBOOK.
THAT SHE THOUGHT, OKAY, MAYBE, MAYBE SHE REALLY IS GONE.
AND SHE WENT TO THE PRECINCT TO PICK UP HER DAUGHTER'S POCKETBOOK.
AND IN IT WAS THE RECEIPT FROM THEIR DINNER ON WINDOWS ON THE WORLD.
AND TODAY, YOU CAN SEE THAT POCKETBOOK AND THAT RECEIPT IN THE NINE 11 MUSEUM.
SO TODAY, I THINK ABOUT THE 3000 PEOPLE WE LOST, BUT WE ALSO, I ALSO THINK ABOUT MARISSA.
AND, YOU KNOW, I READ ABOUT MARISSA'S STORY TWO WEEKS AGO, AND TODAY AT THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY EVENT, I ACTUALLY MET MARISSA'S SISTER, AND I ASKED HER, CAN I TELL YOUR SISTER'S STORY TODAY? AND SHE SAID, YES.
SHE SAID, TELL IT TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SHE DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED BECAUSE ALL 3000 PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES DESERVE TO BE REMEMBERED.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY FOR RECOGNIZING SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT TODAY.
UH, I ALSO JUST NOTICED THAT, UH, NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY, THIS ONES BETTER.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN, MARY JANESKY HAS ARRIVED.
MARY JANE, UH, WOULD, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THIS SEEMS TO BE WORKING PRETTY RELIABLY.
HOW MANY OF YOU LIVED IN HASTINGS 25 YEARS AGO? SOME PEOPLE ARE IN THE GENERAL AREA.
HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVED IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA, BUT NOT IN, OKAY, SO ALMOST EVERY, A GOOD MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE WERE THERE.
AND REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE, LET ME SEE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME HERE THAT DAY TO LOOK OUT AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND AWFUL LOT OF SMOKE.
AND IF YOU STOOD HERE LONG ENOUGH, YOU COULD ACTUALLY START SMELLING IT.
SO YOU COULD IMAGINE WHAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO WERE WORKING ON THE PILE AND THE VOLUNTEERS WORKING ON THE PILE FOR DAYS OR WEEKS OR MONTHS AT A TIME, WHY THEY'VE ENDED UP WITH THE DIFFICULTIES THEY HAVE, WHICH MEANS THAT YES, THE TRAGEDY IS STILL AN UNFOLDING ONE FOR MANY, MANY FAMILIES.
IT'S SO HARD SOMETIMES TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND SOMETHING THIS BIG AND THIS TERRIBLE THAT CAN JUST RESULT IN YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS OF PROBLEMS. BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT ROLLED OUT AS A RESULT.
SOME OF THEM PERSONAL OR FAMILY, SOME OF THEM NATIONAL, AND SOME OF THEM INTERNATIONAL KNOW.
BUT ON THAT DAY, WE ALL EXPERIENCED IT AS INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY OR GOING INTO THE CITY.
MY HUSBAND WORKED IN WHAT WAS THEN CALLED THE METLIFE BUILDING, UM,
[00:20:02]
WHICH MEANT HE WAS MILES AWAY, WHICH MEANT HE WAS NOT IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, BUT HE SAW THE SECOND PLANE GO INTO TWO WORLD TRADE, THE SOUTH TOWER.AND AS HE WAS GETTING READY TO EVACUATE, HE SAW SOMETHING FALL OUT OF THE BUILDING THAT LOOKED LIKE A PERSON JUMPING.
AND SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND US HAVE THOSE STORIES, AND IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY HARD TO IMAGINE THAT IN A PLACE THAT WE THOUGHT OF, AT LEAST ON A MACRO LEVEL, BEING SO SAFE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD BREAK IN AND JUST CHANGE EVERYTHING.
I
PE THERE WAS A LOT OF CHAOS WITH PEOPLE TRYING TO GO HERE AND THERE.
UM, I REMEMBER AFTER MY HUSBAND DID MAKE IT BACK, UM, WE WEREN'T SURE IF HE WAS GONNA MAKE IT BACK THAT DAY OR NOT, BUT EVERYBODY DID START MAKING IT BACK IN THE EARLY EVENING.
AND, UM, WE WENT TO A HOUSE, UM, FRIENDS IN ARDSLEY WHOSE SON AND OUR SON WENT TO DAYCARE TOGETHER BEFORE THEY STARTED GOING TO SCHOOL.
AND, UM, ONE, UM, DANIEL'S FATHER PICKED UP THE SON OF ONE OF OUR FRIENDS WHO, UM, WORKED IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
UM, SHE WAS NOT IN DANGER THAT DAY BECAUSE SHE ENDED UP, AND THAT'S THE THING ABOUT THIS, SOME PEOPLE ENDED UP IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, SOME OF WHICH TOOK THEM OUT OF HARM'S WAY, AND SOME OF THEM PUT, PUT 'EM RIGHT INTO HARM'S WAY.
BUT SHE ENDED UP GOING TO WORK IN A REMOTE LOCATION FOR HER COMPANY.
AND, UM, WE HAD THE THREE BOYS ALL TOGETHER AND WAITED TO GET THROUGH THE DAY.
A AS I SAID, EVERYONE HAS A STORY THAT DAY.
IT'S NOT, THEY'RE NOT GOOD STORIES.
SOME OF THEM ARE MORE TERRIBLE THAN OTHERS, BUT IT'S BEING IN A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS WHERE WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER, THAT MAKES GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.
AND WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN, IT HELPS KEEP US, KEEPS OUR HEADS ON STRAIGHT, IT HELPS US BE ABLE TO FUNCTION.
AND I AM SO GLAD THAT I RAISED MY, NO OFFENSE TO DOBBS FERRY, WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE NOW,
BUT I AM SO GLAD THAT I RAISED MY FAMILY HERE, AND I GOT TO KNOW SO MANY OF YOU, AND WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER THAT DAY, AND ALWAYS THANK YOU.
MARY JANE, A DUGOUT AT, UH, HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL FIELD IS, EXCUSE ME, UH, DEDICATED IN THE MEMORY OF HASTINGS ALUMNI, PATRICK DHE, PATRICK DAN PATRICK.
PAT PAT IS WHAT HE'S KNOWN BY PAT'S BROTHER, UH, EVENTUALLY BECAME A HASTINGS POLICE OFFICER, ROSE TO THE RANK OF DETECTIVE AND RETIRED FROM THE HASTINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT A FEW YEARS AGO.
BUT I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY BERK ESTATE'S BEING REDONE RIGHT NOW, BUT THE DUGOUT WILL REMAIN, UH, DEDICATED TO MEMORY OF PAT DHE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, GO WATCH THE VARSITY BASEBALL TEAM AT SOME POINT NEXT SPRING.
MAYBE NOT THIS SPRING, BUT THE FOLLOWING SPRING.
HE'S NAME ON THE SIDE OF ONE OF THOSE DUGOUTS, UH, ELLEN HENDRICKS, GREENBERG TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, THIS IS CERTAINLY A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, A DAY OF SADNESS, A DAY MARKING A TERRIBLE EVENT.
AND THE LIVES OF US WHO ARE OLDER
[00:25:01]
THAN 25 YEARS.I WOULD NOT BE HERE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IF IT WERE NOT FOR KEVIN MORGAN.
AND I HAD TO HONOR KEVIN MORGAN, WHO PROCEEDED ME AT, WHO PROCEEDED ME AS COUNCILPERSON.
HE, ALONG WITH OTHER POLICE MEMBERS OF THE POLICE FORCE, MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, RUSHED TO THE SCENE TO HELP CLEAR THE PILE AFTER THE EVENT.
AND HE SADLY, DIED OF CANCER THAT HE PROBABLY CONTRACTED IN WORKING DOWN IN THAT TOXIC ATMOSPHERE.
SO HERE I AM, AN UNPLANNED ELECTED OFFICIAL, BUT I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOPE.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT, AS A TERRIBLE AND EVENT AS IT WAS.
PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER, PEOPLE OF ALL RELIGIONS, ALL COLORS, ALL AGES, ALL EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY HAD OR NOT.
AND WE WERE ALL THERE WORKING TOGETHER, AND WE WERE ALL HERE WORKING TOGETHER.
AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS COMMUNITY, WHICH HELD US, WHICH HELD US ALL TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AT THIS POINT.
THIS CONCLUDES THE FORMAL, UH, PORTION OF THE CEREMONY.
UH, CHIEF MIKE GUNTHER, UH, MAY YOU DISMISS YOUR FIREFIGHTERS AT THIS POINT.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, THANK YOU TO THE HASTINGS ON HUDSON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE, THE, UH, THE CORDLESS MICROPHONE, ANOTHER GO.
SO PEOPLE CAN JUST STAND HERE AND NOT HAVE TO COME ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THIS AREA, UH, IF THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE.
SO, OH, ONE OTHER THING I FORGOT.
BILL MCCARTEY, WHO'S STANDING BACK THERE.
HE'S STANDING ABOVE THE CROWD AND HE IS DOWNHILL AND HE'S STILL ABOVE.
MCCARTEY FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AS WELL.
RE UM, I'M AN ISRAELI AMERICAN, SO I JUST REALLY WANNA SAY THAT THE RESPECT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE SHOWN FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT JEWISH HOLIDAY IS NOT TAKEN FOR GRANTED.
ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, I WAS PREGNANT WITH MY FIRST CHILD.
UM, HE WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 24TH.
AND I REMEMBER STANDING THERE WATCHING, AND I THOUGHT, AND I LOOKED DOWN AT MY BELLY A LOT, AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WHY WOULD I WANT TO BRING THIS HUMAN INTO THIS WORLD? I FELT THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH HATE.
AND WE'RE ALL HERE 25 YEARS LATER, ALWAYS REMEMBERING.
AND MY SON IS SUCH A SHINING STAR TO PROVE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN JUST KEEP GOING.
TRY TO GIVE THIS ONE MORE, UH, GO.
AND I'M ALSO, UH, TAKING REQUESTS.
I'M ALSO, UH, THAT'S NOT WORKING EITHER.
PUT THE BLUE CALF ON THE BOTTOM.
THEN I, I USE THIS THING FOR AN HOUR.
I'M ALSO TAKING REQUESTS FOR WHOEVER HAS THE BEST SUITES TOMORROW.
I'M HAPPY TO COME OVER AND SHARE IN YOUR NEW YEAR'S AND SHARE WITH YOUR SUITES AT YOUR HOME.
SO IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE BEST SUITES IN TOWN, I'LL COME OVER FOR, AND I'LL, I'LL BE THE JUDGE OF IT.
UH, OR JUSTICE ISN'T HERE TODAY, SO I COULD ACT IN HIS BEHALF.
IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
I, ANYTHING WORKING HERE? UH, CAN WE STILL THAT OR THAT ONE'S WORKING? CAN YOU STILL USE IT? I WANT YOU TO KNOW, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, SO MANY OF YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING HERE IN HASTINGS FOR 26 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE, INCLUDING ON THAT DAY.
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I WAS HERE IN DISBELIEF LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT MUCH BECAUSE WE HAVE HERO.
UM, PEOPLE WHO WE HAVEN'T RECOGNIZED, BUT PEOPLE I WANNA RECOGNIZE.
CAN IT IT CAN YOU NOT? I'M TALKING RELATIVELY LOUD.
CAN PEOPLE HEAR ME? YOU'RE GOOD.
ANYWAY, THE PEOPLE WHO DOCUMENTED, I GOTTA GO SOMEWHERE.
WHAT HAPPENED DOWN AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, THE PHOTOJOURNALIST, THE PEOPLE WHO JUST HAPPENED TO BE OUTSIDE AND TAKE OUT THEIR CAMERAS, IT'S POSSIBLY THE MOST DOCUMENTED EVENT IN HUMAN HISTORY, AT LEAST UP UNTIL THAT POINT.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE ABLE TO REMEMBER WITH SUCH CLARITY, WHETHER WE WANT TO OR NOT, WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY WAS BECAUSE PEOPLE GOT OUT CAMERAS AND THEY GOT OUR VIDEO CAMERAS AND THEY DECIDED THEY WERE GONNA, SOME PEOPLE PUT THEMSELVES IN EXTREME DANGER TO GO DOWN AND PHOTOGRAPH WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE THAT DAY.
THE FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPH OF, UH, ONE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS PLANTING THE AMERICAN FLAG ON TOP OF THE PILE WAS OFFERED MORE MONEY THAN YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE FOR THAT PHOTOGRAPH.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE EQUAL OF IMA.
AND HE SAID, NO, THIS BELONGS TO EVERYBODY.
I CAN'T CLAIM THIS PHOTOGRAPH, IT'S FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT I WANT TO QUICKLY TALK ABOUT A PERSON LIVED IN HASTINGS AT THE TIME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU KNEW JOE MCNALLY.
JOE IS ONE OF THE GREAT PHOTOGRAPHERS OF ALL TIME.
HE'S STILL WITH US, FORTUNATELY, HAD SEVEN COVERS FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.
HE WAS AT A VERY EARLY MEETING THAT DAY WHEN HE GOT IN THE CAR AND TURNED ON THE RADIO, HEARD A PLANE HAD GONE INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
AND HE GOES, WELL, THIS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING I NEED TO GO PHOTOGRAPH.
SO HE WENT HOME AND HE STARTED GETTING HIS GEAR TOGETHER, AND THEN HE FOUND OUT NEW YORK CITY WAS CLOSED.
THEY WERE NOT ALLOWING ANYBODY IN.
AND HE REALIZED A LOT OF HIS COMPATRIOTS, UM, WERE ALREADY IN THE CITY.
THEY WERE PROBABLY DOWN THERE PHOTOGRAPHING.
SO HE CAME UP WITH A DIFFERENT IDEA.
HE CALLED THE POLAROID CORPORATION, AND HE SAID, I NEED EVERY PIECE OF SEVEN FOOT HIGH FILM YOU HAVE.
AND THEY SAID, WHY WOULD WE GIVE THAT TO YOU? AND HE SAID, I DID AN ARTICLE ON YOU IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SIX MONTHS AGO.
AND HE CALLED THIS LIGHTING COMPANY AND HE SAID, I JUST NEED YOU TO GIVE AS MANY LIGHTS AS YOU CAN.
AND THEN HE CALLED NEWSDAY, WHO HE WAS WORKING FOR, AND HE SAID, I NEED YOU TO PUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN MY ACCOUNT.
THIS IS ALL WHILE THE BUILDINGS WERE STILL STANDING.
AND JOE WENT DOWN TO HIS STUDIO ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN.
HE MANAGED TO GET DOWN THAT FAR, AND THEY HAD A POLAROID CAMERA THERE.
THEY TOOK PICTURES THAT WERE SEVEN FEET TALL AND THREE FEET WIDE.
AND HE STARTED INVITING ANYBODY FROM GROUND ZERO WHO WANTED TO COME UP AND HAVE THEIR PICTURE TAKEN, TAKEN.
AND IT WAS EVERYBODY FROM MAYOR GIULIANI TO A WINDOW WASHER WHO DUG HIS WAY OUT OF AN ELEVATOR WITH HIS SQUEEGEE AND SAVED SEVEN PEOPLE THAT DAY.
THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS GOT MOUNTED.
THEY WERE ON DISPLAY IN, UH, GRAND CENTRAL STATION FOR MANY MONTHS, AND THEN TRAVELED AROUND THE COUNTRY, POSSIBLY TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY NOW WANT PERMANENT DISPLAY DOWN AT THE NINE 11 MUSEUM.
EVERY NICKEL THAT JOE MADE FROM THAT GOT DONATED TO THE WIDOWS AND CHILDREN'S FUND FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN WE OBSERVE, WHEN WE RECORD, WHEN WE REMEMBER, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH A STORY OR A PHOTOGRAPH OR A FILM, WE ENABLE THE NEXT GENERATION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THAT.
AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO DO THAT, WHETHER IT'S TALKING TO AN OLDER RELATIVE AND FIND OUT THEIR STORIES THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO DO YET.
BUT TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT YOUR STORIES.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN THIS CONTINUITY.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SAY A THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO DOCUMENTED WHAT WENT ON DOWN THERE SO THAT WE CAN REMEMBER WITH GREATER CLARITY AND GREATER PURPOSE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? MAYOR.
TRY, TRY TALKING BEHIND ME JUST FOR THE, HE IT'S BEEN, UH, A WHILE SINCE I'VE TOLD THIS STORY.
THERE'S STILL TACKED UP ON MY BOLTON BOARD, THE INVITE TO THE RISK WATERS CONFERENCE THAT I DID NOT GO TO AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THAT MORNING.
AND, UH, MY FRIEND AARON DAT, WHO DID,
[00:35:01]
DID NOT MAKE IT OUT THAT DAY.AND I COME DOWN HERE EVERY MORNING ON SEPTEMBER 11TH AT 8 58, 8 8 46 FOR THE FIRST IMPACT, AND PUT TWO CANDLES OUT FOR THE TWO PEOPLE I KNEW PERSONALLY WHO DIED THAT DAY.
I WORKED ACROSS THE STREET, UH, FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, AND I WAS AT A BREAKFAST MEETING, UH, THAT I, UH, WENT TO INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE RISK WATERS CONFERENCE.
AND I WAS BORED AND I WAS STANDING AT THE WINDOW LOOKING OUT, AND I SAW THE FIRST BUILDING EXPLODE.
DIDN'T SEE THE AIRPLANE THAT WENT INTO THE BUILDING, BUT IT WAS CLEARLY AN EXPLOSION.
AND I YELLED IN SURPRISE, AND EVERYBODY CAME TO THE WINDOW AND WE WATCHED THE PAPER FLYING OUT OF THE BUILDING.
AND, UH, THE FIRST TWO PEOPLE WHO JUMPED, THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ROOM LEFT.
AND THIS WAS ON THE 28TH FLOOR.
AND THE SECOND PLANE, IT FELT LIKE IT CAME IN LIKE THIS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, BUT IT WAS 50 FLOORS UP, STRUCK THE SECOND BUILDING.
AND FOR ONE SPLIT SECOND, I JUST SAW A SLIT IN THE BUILDING WHERE THE PLANE WENT IN.
AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT WAS.
AND THEN THE BUILDING EXPLODED AND I DROPPED TO THE GROUND BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH THAT THE WINDOWS WERE BLOWING.
THEY DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY I KNEW IT WAS TERRORISM.
AND, UH, I CALLED MY WIFE, SAID I WAS COMING HOME, DIDN'T HAVE A CELL PHONE BACK THEN, WENT DOWN, UH, AND STARTED WALKING UP.
THE, THE SUBWAYS WERE CLOSED AND DECIDED SINCE THE SUBWAYS WERE CLOSED, I WAS JUST GONNA WALK OVER AND WATCH THEM PUT THE FIRES OUT.
SO I WAS AT, UH, PARK PLACE AND, UH, OH BOY, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NORTH, SOUTH STREET, RIGHT THERE WITH A HUNDRED OTHER PEOPLE WATCHING THE FIRES BLAZE.
AND JUST SUCH A SAD NUMBER OF PEOPLE MAKING THE HARDEST DECISION IN THEIR LIVES TO JUMP.
AND THEN WE HEARD A SOUND THAT SOUNDED LIKE LARGE CLICKING SOUND, AND THE TOP OF THE BUILDING BEGAN TO COMPRESS.
AND WE REALIZED THE BUILDING WAS COLLAPSING AND THAT WE WERE THREE BLOCKS AWAY FROM IT.
AND LIKE A FLOCK OF BIRDS, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY TURN ALL AT ONCE.
EVERYBODY JUST TURNED AND STARTED RUNNING UP CHURCH STREET.
IT WAS CHURCH STREET AND, UH, ME TOO, I THINK I WAS SCREAMING AND COMING UP CHURCH STREET, WHEN I LOOKED BACK, IT LOOKED LIKE A TORNADO OF DUST KNOCKED ON ITS SIDE RACING UP.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS HOT, HOT OR TOXIC OR WHATEVER, BUT I KNEW I DIDN'T WANNA LAND UP IN THAT.
SO I RAN FAST AND I OUTRAN IT, AND I TURNED AROUND TO WATCH AND SAW PEOPLE RUNNING OUT OF THE CLOUD, ALL WHITE FROM THE ASH.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS.
I THOUGHT THEY HAD BEEN BURNED LIKE HIROSHIMA OR SOMETHING.
AND THEN ONE OF THE WOMEN WHO WAS AFRICAN AMERICAN, SHE HAD A CUT ON HER HEAD, BUT SHE WAS ALSO CRYING.
AND THE TEARS WIPED AWAY THE ASH AND I COULD SEE THE SKIN, AND I REALIZED IT WAS ASH AND THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO DIE.
SOME HORRIBLE DEATH RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
IT SOUNDED LIKE IT BROKE THE SPEED OF SOUND.
AND I TURNED AROUND AND WALKED UP TO CANAL STREET WHERE I WATCHED THE SECOND BUILDING COME DOWN.
AND THERE WAS THIS WOMAN WHO CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED, WHY IS EVERYBODY HERE? WHAT'S GOING ON? AND I POINTED DOWN CHURCH AND I SAID, TARA HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
[00:40:01]
WAS CRAZY AND THEN LOOKED DOWN THE STREET AND SOMEHOW THAT MOMENT HURTS AS MUCH AS ANYTHING ELSE.AND SO SOME STUDIO OWNER WAS KIND ENOUGH TO INVITE A BUNCH OF US IN TO OUR STUDIO TO MAKE PHONE CALLS, ET CETERA.
AND I WALKED HOME UP TO, UH, GRAND CENTRAL AFTER A WEEK OF AN HOUR OR TWO, AND THEY WERE JUST LOADING PEOPLE INTO THE TRAINS AT LIKE ONE O'CLOCK, ONE 30 AND SENDING THEM OFF NORTH.
AND I WAS IN THE FIRST TRAIN UP, UP THE GREEN LINE, CAME HOME TO A NORMAL WORLD, EXCEPT IT REALLY HASN'T BEEN NORMAL SINCE, HAS IT? IT IT REALLY HASN'T.
THE WORLD TO ME IS SORT OF BEFORE NINE 11 AND THEN ALL THE CRAP SINCE NINE 11.
AND I'D LOVE TO PAINT PRETTY ENDING TO THIS STORY, BUT THAT'S FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? WE MAY HAVE FIGURED THIS ONE OUT, HOPEFULLY.
AND I WANTED TO JUST TALK ABOUT THE MAN WHO SAVED MY LIFE.
UH, I WORKED FOR MORGAN STANLEY, DEAN WHITTER, WHICH WAS THE LARGEST TENANT OF THE WORLD TREND TRADE CENTER.
AND I HAD AN OFFICE ON THE 65TH FLOOR OF THE SOUTH TOWER.
AND STEPPING BACK IN 1993, THERE WAS AN ATTACK ON THE BUILDING IN THE LOBBY AND, UH, IN THE GARAGE, PARDON ME.
AND OUR SECURITY DIRECTOR DECIDED THAT WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO IS STRENGTHEN ALL THE STAIRWAYS, INSTALL EMERGENCY LIGHTING.
SO THE, SO SHOULD THIS HAPPEN AGAIN, HE WAS CONVINCED IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN.
UM, HE WOULD HELP PEOPLE AND WE HAD DRILLS FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
SO WHEN IT CAME, I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
UM, I, I WAS, I CLEARED PART OF THE FLOOR, THEN I WENT AND I STARTED WALKING DOWN AND WALKING DOWN AND WALKING DOWN.
AND I HEARD THAT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT SOME, IT'S SAFE HERE.
YOU, THE PROBLEM IS IN THE OTHER BUILDING.
AND IF YOU PARDON ME, A TRADER VOICE CAME UP AND SAID, OH YEAH.
AND THEN WE WENT DOWN FURTHER.
AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE TRANSFER POINT ON THE 44TH FLOOR, UM, THERE WAS
AND UH, JUST AS I PASSED HIM, HE WENT IN TO THE STAIRCASE I HAD COME OUT OF AND WENT UP AND WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN.
UM, HE CONSERVATIVELY, WITH ALL HIS DEDICATION, SAVED AT LEAST 2100 LIVES.
UM, MINE INCLUDED, UH, HE'S A GREAT HERO WHO I DON'T, WHO HAS GOTTEN SOME RECOGNITION, BUT I DON'T THINK HE GETS THE, HAS GOTTEN THE RECOGNITION HE DESERVES.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE TEASED HIM.
I USED TO GO OUT DRINKING WITH HIM.
WE WOULD GO AND WE'D GO, OH, RICKY NOT ANOTHER DRILL.
COME ON, CAN WE JUST LIKE PASS A COUPLE, HOLD HIM AND NOPE, JUST KEPT DOING IT.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK? WELL, EVERYONE IS INVITED TO STAY AS LONG AS YOU WOULD LIKE, ESPECIALLY TO THE EVENING WHEN THE, WHEN IT BECOMES DARKER AT THIS LOCATION.
HAVE A GOOD FRIEND HERE IN HASTINGS WHO COMES DOWN HERE.
EVERY SINGLE NINE 11 JUST SITS HERE ONCE WE HAVE SUNDOWN AND JUST STAYS HERE.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY COME DOWN LATE AT NIGHT AFTER I'VE GOTTEN OFF OF WORK,
[00:45:01]
IF I WORKED AN EVENING SHIFT WHILE I WAS STILL A POLICE OFFICER.AND I'VE COME DOWN AFTER ON MY WAY HOME AT 11, 11 30 AT NIGHT JUST TO SIT HERE FOR MYSELF AND DECOMPRESS FOR MY DAY.
AND SHE'S BEEN HERE, SO I I'M SURE SHE'LL BE HERE PRETTY SOON.
SO EVERYONE IS INVITED TO STAY.
UM, BUT IF NO ONE ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO SAY, THEN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING THIS EVENING AND JOINING US AND, AND WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR.