Near two mangled, charred metal beams recovered from the World Trade Center, politicians and residents gathered in Glenville to honor the victims of 9/11 and the people who served their country following the attacks.
At the 9/11 memorial next to The Waters Edge Restaurant, constructed in 2006 by owners Pat and Karen Popolizio, public officials shared their stories and tributes related to the terrorism attacks which stopped our nation in silence and sorrow.
Appreciating the wonderful blue sky and the sunshine today, I’m sure we all remember that nine years ago a similar day we awoke to, but that is where the similarities end, said President of The Chamber of Schenectady County Charles Steiner, serving as master of ceremonies.
Christopher Koetzle, supervisor for the Town of Glenville, echoed Steiner’s comments about the unexpected events, which unfolded that day.
`On a bright, sunny September morning, just like this afternoon, an evil that we could not imagine descended from our skies over New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.,` said Koetzle. `Our job here today is to do more than just remember, what happened on that fateful day can never just be relegated to our history books. We must be vigilante every single day to the struggle against evil and we must ensure that we always ready to meet our obligation as the guardian of liberty.`
A total of 2,977 people died on 9/11 and Koetzle noted around the same amount of days has passed since the attack.
`We all have lived one day for each victim since 9/11,` said Koetzle. `That has been our gift, all of us here today, but we must ask ourselves is have we lived each and every one of those days in a way that honors the memory of those that were killed We pledge today to honor all those that we lost not in our words, but in our deeds.`
Susan Savage, chair of the Schenectady County Legislature, spoke on the images that filled television screens across the country during the attacks.
`I’ll never forget the disturbing images that day,` said Savage. `I’ll never forget the feeling of sadness we all experienced for the victims of the senseless of act on our nation, nor should we ever forget.`
She also said the terrorism attacks ignited the nation with a sense of community spirit and pride, which should be remembered.
`Our county and our community grew together and grew stronger in the days after September 11, 2001,` said Savage. `We all worked together to help each other through tough times. Life does go on, but we must also hold on to that sense of community to continue to work together to make our communities across the nation even stronger.`
George Amedore, New York State Assemblyman, said Americans uniting together, not politicians, is what makes American a great nation.
`We saw how great the people of this nation really are,` said Amedore, R-Rotterdam. `Remember that we can teach our young that we Americans can get through anything.`
New York State Assemblyman James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, also talked about the perseverance of Americans and how one day terrorism will be defeated.
`America is great, because Americans are great and that is there legacy,` said Tedisco. `Probably the most important part of the legacy is this, at some point we will defeat terrorism. It won’t be in our lifetimes, probably, because they’re zealots, they’re extremists. It won’t be in our children’s lifetimes. It probably in our children’s children’s children’s lifetimes, but at some point, we will defeat terrorism, and after that terrorism is defeated, the greatness of America will live on, the greatness of Americans will live on. What will live on is the love of America will have defeated the hatred of extremism and terrorists.`
The ceremony closed with Steven Cafiero discussing the last time he saw his son, Steven Cafiero Jr., only the week before during Labor Day weekend. He said God works in mysterious ways, because his son was supposed to come the following weekend after Sept. 11.
`When he came up he was so happy to share with us he just got a brand new job ` it was in the World Trade Center,` said Cafiero. `My fiancE said ‘aren’t you afraid of working so high up in a building like that, especially that it was hit once before’ and he said no.`
Cafiero also retold the final moments of his son talking to his mother over the phone from inside the World Trade Center.
`That day on 9/11 he was on his phone with his mother and he was telling her, ‘Mom, I got to get out of here. I can feel the heat from the building next door. People are jumping for their lives. I got to get out of her,’` said Cafiero. `The last words out of his mouth was, ‘Oh my God,’ and we couldn’t get through to my son from that point on.“