Utica remembers, honors first responders on 9/11 anniversary

With a remembrance breakfast hosted by the Genesis Group and a ceremony hosted by Mayor Robert Palmieri and Utica Fire Chief Scott Ingersoll, Utica commemorated the anniversary of 9/11 on Monday.

The Genesis Group, a community organization that works to promote the Mohawk Valley region, has held a 9/11 Remembrance Breakfast every year since the attacks. President and CEO Raymond Durso said that the focus of the event each year is honoring law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders as well as military personnel.

“It's a wonderful way to bring our community together to remember, honor and appreciate,” Durso said in a phone conversation.

The mayor and fire chief held a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial on Sherman St. They laid a wreath of flowers in shades of red, white and blue on the memorial statue. A ribbon emblazoned with the message “We will never forget” stretched across the center of the wreath.

In attendance at both events were members of law enforcement, including Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol, firefighters, first responders, families of those lost in the 9/11 attacks and public servants, among other community members.

Rev. Joseph Salerno, pastor emeritus of Mary, Mother of Our Savior parish, and chaplain to the Utica Police Department and the Utica Fire Department, led prayers at both events.

Former Bush official gives keynote speech

This year’s keynote speaker at the remembrance breakfast was Andrew H. Card, Jr., who was President George W. Bush’s chief of staff on that tragic day.

Card opened his speech by acknowledging the gravity of the commemoration.

“This is a very emotional day,” Card said. “And the truth is, we promised that it would always be an emotional day.”

He recounted the details of the morning before that life-altering event; he was with President Bush in Sarasota, Florida, as the president prepared to read stories with elementary school children.

When a Navy captain acting as national security advisor for the Florida trip told Card about one, then two planes hitting the World Trade Center, Card was the one to whisper the news in the president’s ear.

Card described the president and his staff leaping into action, getting Vice President Dick Cheney and FBI Director Robert Mueller on the phone and rushing to board Air Force One to get back to Washington, D.C. Bush spoke with other world leaders and made sure a military team was ready in case of subsequent attacks.

“We had to make sure that our democracy would be secure,” Card said.

Card encouraged the audience at the breakfast to keep the memories of 9/11 alive.

“Remember the tears,” he said. “Remember the sacrifices. Remember those who answered the call to duty.”

Ceremony calls on community to remember

At the ceremony on Sherman St., public servants including Maciol, Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. and Palmieri also gave speeches with themes of remembrance and respect.

“For those that are first responders: today is the day that we are reminded of all that you do for us, so thank you,” Buttenschon said. “To the families that are here today: we understand the difficulties that you face and we appreciate you coming today, and we are here for you.”

Palmieri said he thought most of the people in attendance could remember where they were 22 years ago, but the same may not be true of younger generations. He promoted a message of unity in his remarks.

“Really, it's up to us to make sure that our children and our grandchildren understand the tragedy that happened at 9/11,” Palmieri said. “And we keep on saying, ‘We shall never forget,’ but we should also be proud and never forget how we came together as Americans. Not Republicans, not Democrats, not liberals, not conservatives, but as Americans.”

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: 9/11 commemoration events took place in Utica on Monday