Many gather to remember Sept. 11

BY PAT FARNELLI

Correspondent

A crowd of visitors gathered on a green field in South Montrose Tuesday to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001 and those lost in the military efforts that followed.

The green field, granite obelisks and stainless steel markers, the row of flags from every state which had lost a citizen, all were part of a labor of love by the mother of Danny Crisman, a 25 year old victim of that infamous day.

Danny’s mother, Debbie Crisman, thanked all of those who attended and participated in the September 11th Remembrance Service. “It is time like this that causes me to be amazed at the wonderful support that can be shared across so many miles by folks we have never met. God Bless the USA.”

The event’s keynote speaker, Adam Albarram of the New York Police Department, was unable to attend due to a family emergency but Larry Souder, of Montrose, read his speech during the service.

Albarram began by writing that the best way to understand Sept. 11, 2001 is to understand what the world was like on the previous day. He said that he had asked on Sept. 10 for six orange cones to place across a road that was once an official port of entry between the United States and Canada.

“Six cones are what stood between the US and Canada. That was it. Granted, this was used at a remote crossing, but the border was pretty much wide open.” Americans returning from Canada and Mexico via land simply needed to say they were American and that was sufficient. Terrorism was a faraway problem. And then the world changed.”

On Sept. 11, Albarram responded to the alarm at the World Trade Center and saw a coffee cart, left at the curb, because the owner had run for his life. “The next thing I saw was one of our marked police vehicles. Both back and front windshields had been blown out and both doors were smashed open. I was told that one of the cops who was in the car was still missing. I thought to myself that he was dead and moved on. It still had not sunk in.

“Sometime later a firefighter approached me. He said to me and everyone within earshot that half his truck was dead. Half of the firefighters that he had left quarters with on this truck were now dead. I had no idea of what to say.

“There was a rumor that there was a firefighter who was the sole survivor of his unit and that he was the only one left to drive his rig back to his firehouse. I hope it was not this man. It may well have been. I will never know.”

Souder read: “Just as I had begun to absorb the enormity of what was going on around me, 7 World Trade Center came down and I was only blocks away.”

He described how the sun faded and there was no power, and a good portion of lower Manhattan was now dark. “As an aside, the fire at the World Trade Center burned and smoldered for almost three weeks.”

He was allowed to go home that night. The days after that fed one into the next, but he remembers noticing that everywhere he went there was an American flag flying. “It was our way of showing the world that our flag was still there.”

Hayden Brunges again served as soloist, and led those gathered in singing the National Anthem, as well as “God Bless the USA”. Boy Scout Troop 92 led the Pledge of Allegiance, and CSM(R) Don Robinson was Master of Ceremonies.

President Judge Jason Legg also spoke. The Edward P. Maloney Memorial Pipe and Drum Band played “Amazing Grace.”

After the service, bagpiper Ken Roe paused to take photos of the granite monuments for those who perished at the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. As he focused his cell phone on the names of 19 friends he lost that day, he said that the bagpipe band with which he played “Amazing Grace” during the service was named after a New York City police officer who had founded the NYPD pipe and drum band, and whose son is a Binghamton firefighter.

“I knew 19 of these, some of my closest friends, and I taught trainings with some of these firefighters on this stone,” he said.

Jill Swingle commented that the service was beautiful, and that the park looked amazing, “Even the pond added to the beauty,” she said. She was referring to the smaller expanse of lawn that had become a body of water near the road after the heavy rains that fell just before the event.

She noted that Crisman’s efforts have personally helped the community to never forget that day. “You are an inspiration to all of us. Thank you for all you do in the community,” she said referring to Debbie Crisman.

Robert Brown said, “It’s always a great combination of tribute, respect, patriotism and community.”

Nearly a week later, many of the globe candles are still burning around the 9/11 Memorial, Firefighters Cross and Military Monument, Debbie Crisman noted.

Her son Danny had worked on the 97th floor of the World Trade Center for only about two weeks, a recent hire at Marsh & McLennon. His mother chose to create a memorial park across the road from where Danny spent time with his grandfather.

The granite monuments list the names of those killed in the towers alphabetically, by first name, to make it more personal. The first name on the first plate is of a priest who died of a heart attack at the scene. The last name is Sirius Canine, a rescue dog. In between are long lists of Daniels, Elizabeths, Matthews, Michaels, Sarahs, and Stevens, along with more unique first and last names.

Pastor Bob Kadlecik gave the invocation and benediction. “Thank you for those who ran in when the others were running out,” he said. “Thank you for those who have given their time, and sometimes their lives, as first responders. Make today, an anniversary of an act of hate and death, a symbol of hope and healing and life, just as you made the cross a symbol for hope and healing and life.”