MONTICELLO

MONTICELLO – The Monticello Fire Department gathered Friday evening to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and honor the people who lost their lives that day and in the years that followed.

The ceremony began with the presentation of the colors and the singing of the National Anthem. Monticello Fire Chief John Wells welcomed those in attendance, noting that the department has continued its tradition of remembering and honoring the victims of 9/11 for more than two decades.

Wells specifically recognized the FDNY firefighters who died in the line of duty during the attacks. He also honored the law enforcement officers, EMS personnel, construction workers and others who responded to the attacks, as well as those who later died from illnesses connected to their work at Ground Zero.

Sullivan County Historian John Conway was the evening’s featured speaker. Rather than focusing solely on the events of September 11, Conway reflected on what happened in the aftermath, particularly the sense of unity that swept across the country.

Conway recalled how Americans set aside political and regional differences and began asking, “What can I do? How can I help?” He described that spirit of solidarity as something remarkable, noting that people across the country and around the world rallied behind those affected by the attacks.

But Conway said that unity gradually faded, replaced by the divisions that have continued to grow in the years since. As the nation remembers 9/11, Conway encouraged those gathered to remember not only the tragedy, but also the way Americans came together afterward.

“We often hear the phrase, ‘Let us never forget,’” Conway said. “This evening, I’d like to suggest that as we contemplate the events of 9/11, we remember the unity.”

The ceremony concluded with the traditional ringing of the bell to honor fallen firefighters, followed by a performance of “God Bless America.” Attendees were invited to gather afterward for refreshments.

The department closed the ceremony with a reminder that the community will continue to gather each year to honor those who were lost. “Never forget” remained the evening’s central message remembering not only the lives lost, but the courage, service and unity that followed one of the darkest days in American history.

SMALLWOOD

SMALLWOOD — Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, firefighters, first responders, elected officials and residents gathered Friday morning at the Smallwood-Mongaup Valley Fire Department to remember those killed that day and those who have died in the years since.

Above the gathering, a massive American flag hung between ladder trucks provided by the Loch Sheldrake and South Fallsburg fire companies. Members of neighboring departments joined Smallwood-Mongaup Valley firefighters, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard and other first responders for the department’s annual September 11 commemoration.

Following a procession into the memorial grounds, former Sullivan County Legislator Scott Samuelson sang the national anthem as the ceremony got underway.

The anniversary carried additional weight this year. A quarter-century has now passed since the attacks, meaning an increasing number of people attending commemorations were either too young to remember September 11 or had not yet been born.

Bethel Town Supervisor Dan Sturm said preserving those memories is becoming part of the responsibility of those who lived through the attacks.

“Whether you were here 25 years ago or not even born yet, you are part of that remembrance today,” Sturm said. “For those who were not born yet, it is our responsibility to tell them. Not only about the tragedy, but about the courage, compassion and unity that followed.”

Assemblywoman Paula Kay asked those gathered to look upward at Friday morning’s blue sky, which reminded her of the clear September morning 25 years earlier.

“What we saw that day was pure horror and, at the same time, pure heroism,” Kay said.

She also drew attention to the continuing toll of September 11-related illnesses among first responders, recovery workers and others exposed in the aftermath of the attacks. She encouraged residents to mark Patriot Day through acts of service and kindness.

Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff recalled being with the New York State Police at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center when the attacks occurred and seeing both the destruction and the response that followed.

In the days afterward, Schiff said, people arrived from across the country carrying water, socks, flashlights, batteries and anything else they believed could help.

“They didn’t think about it,” Schiff said. “As Americans, they just came together.”

Schiff said those volunteers were among the less visible heroes of the response.

“As always, Americans respond to the emergency,” he said. “Good Americans do respond, and they do the right thing.”

LIBERTY

LIBERTY — “It’s been 25 years.” This was the message Town of Liberty Supervisor Frank DeMayo presented to the public as he welcomed first responders, community members, and local leaders Friday afternoon to the LaPolt Park pavilion in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

Opening the event was Pastor Joy Jordan, who delivered an invocation that urged attendees to reflect and honor the courageous sacrifices of the volunteers and first responders on that tragic day while wishing comfort for those continuing to mourn.

The keynote speaker of the evening was Ralph Bressler, a veteran emergency responder with over 40 years of service with the Livingston Manor Ambulance Corps, who shared his solemn, personal account of those couple weeks.

Bressler served as Captain of the Livingston Manor Ambulance Corps in 2001, and his department was one of many that responded to Lower Manhattan. Bressler heard about the attacks while teaching at Liberty High School. With not a second to lose, he gathered a crew of volunteers to prepare to head south and assist the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY).

His team arrived at midnight at the intersection of West and Vesey streets on October 3. Bressler was taken aback by the stark scene at Ground Zero—be it the persistent smell of an electrical fire, the towering pile of what remained of the World Trade Center, or the somber moments where search crews paused after locating human remains.

“My most lasting impression was when I opened the door to the ambulance, and it was the smell... of an electrical fire, something that had been burning for a long time,” recounted Bressler. What also stood out to him was the tireless dedication of the workers operating heavy equipment and cutting torches.

Some of the many poignant moments of resilience came in the form of numerous comforting crayon drawings submitted by school children countrywide, St. Louis Red Cross volunteers offering coffee, and the countless citizens who lined the West Side Highway with encouraging signs of gratitude toward emergency crews exiting the site.

He reminded the public that younger generations may not have lived through the event, noting the significant wave of national unity that emerged following the tragedy and encouraging attendees to see past current divisions today.

“Perhaps remembering 9/11, and the unity that followed that event, can be a beginning for a new unity,” Bressler said.