Victims of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks remembered in Huntington, Baldwin
Members of the American Legion riders hold American flags during the Town of Huntington's 9/11 memorial ceremony Saturday. Credit: Steve Pfost
The toll of a bell lingered over a steady patter of rain in Huntington’s Heckscher Park on Saturday during the town’s annual remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks...
Family members stood with bowed heads as the names of 43 town residents who perished in the attacks were read aloud.
The annual ceremony drew more than 100 people to the 9/11 memorial, a somber path to a fountain flanked by weathered steel columns and a plaque engraved with their names.
It was one of several commemorations being held on Long Island to mark the 23rd anniversary of the attacks, which killed 2,753 people in lower Manhattan after hijackers crashed airplanes into the Twin Towers in 2001. In Baldwin on Saturday, a street was renamed for retired FDNY Firefighter Robert "Bob" Beckwith, who became a unifying symbol in the aftermath of the terror attacks when he stood beside former President George W. Bush on the rubble of Ground Zero.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Several commemorations are being held on Long Island to mark the 23rd anniversary of the attacks by hijackers who crashed airplanes into the Twin Towers in lower Manhattan.
- In Huntington’s Heckscher Park, a bell tolled as the names of the 43 town residents who died in the attacks were read aloud.
- In Baldwin, a street sign was erected to honor FDNY Firefighter Robert Beckwith who stood with stood beside former President George W. Bush on the rubble of Ground Zero after the attacks.
In Huntington, Town Supervisor Ed Smyth spoke about the 43 residents, some who worked in the towers, others firefighters or other first responders. “I remember how we all immediately honored the lives we lost by coming together as one community, undivided in their names,” Smyth said. “Let us not forget that lesson in the face of new challenges we face as a society, even today, over two decades later.”
As each name was read, the bell tolled and a veteran placed a red rose in their memory.
After the ceremony, Christine Reilly, 62, of Huntington, and her daughter Judy Reilly, 17, each clasped a rose in their hands in honor of Reilly’s brother James, an uncle Judy would never get to meet.
“It’s comforting to be together as a family and to remember, say a prayer and think back on the great times we had with him,” Christine Reilly said. “The stories I’ve heard about my uncle,” Judy added, grinning at stories of how her uncle could “light up” any room.
James Reilly, 25, was a bond trader who worked on the 89th floor of the south tower, according to his family. His ID badge was recovered and donated to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
This year, Judy is attending the 9/11 ceremony in lower Manhattan for the first time, where she will read her late uncle’s name out loud.
Christine Reilly said it’s a painful, but special experience.
“We all share that collective loss and get strength from the other families,” she said. “It’s not just a list of names. You really learn a little bit more about some of the other people who passed.”
The town is planning to add names to the memorial for Huntington residents that have since died from 9/11 related illnesses and cancer, according to town spokesperson Christine Geed.
Liam Robert Collins, 3, the great-grandson of FDNY Firefighter Bob Beckwith attends the street renaming for Beckwith on Saturday in Baldwin. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
In the rain Saturday morning in Baldwin, elected officials, firefighters and Beckwith's family gathered at Soper and Fairview avenues to add a new sign to the intersection.
It read Robert T. Beckwith Avenue.
The street dedication comes just months after Beckwith died in February from 9/11-related illness at the age of 91. “My grandfather taught me that being brave isn’t about running into danger,” said an emotional Matthew Beckwith, 25. “It’s about being there for people when they need you the most — that’s the legacy that I carry with me today.”
Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said the Baldwin firefighter “brought us together that day,” referencing the iconic photograph between Robert Beckwith and the former president.
Clavin read letters from President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump at the street renaming that commemorated Beckwith’s service. Former Rep. Peter King read part of a statement from former President George W. Bush, reflecting the pair’s relationship in the wake of the attacks and the Long Island native’s national importance.
FDNY Assistant Chief Joseph Ferrante, the Queens borough commander, said while many know Robert Beckwith for the memorable photo, the street dedication is for a lifetime of work.
“Bob spent 30 years on the FDNY, he served this city and then ended up giving his life due to the World Trade illness he contracted from being down there,” Ferrante said.
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