Riverhead Town’s Sept. 11 memorial ceremony drew a large crowd to World Trade Center Memorial Park in Calverton Friday morning, where officials and residents came together to pray, sing and share their recollections of that fateful day in 2001 that shook America to its core.
“The events of that day changed our city and our nation forever,” said Riverhead Town Clerk James Wooten, who served as master of ceremonies. He was a Riverhead police officer in 2001 and that morning he was working in the property room, he said, when he heard about a plane crashing into one of the twin towers.
He recalled watching events unfold on a TV in the chief’s office and being shocked by what he saw.
John Cuddy of Jamesport was an NYPD detective at the time. He was at a police union meeting in Queens. Union president Tom Scotto was at the podium, Cuddy recalled.
“And his pager goes off, and he looks at it and he says, ‘A plane just hit the World Trade Center. We all looked at each other like, what was it like, a little Piper Cub or something like that?’ One of the detectives ran to the roof of the restaurant where the meeting was taking place to have a look. “Shortly thereafter, he runs down screaming, ‘Another plane just hit the towers.’”
Cuddy’s voice grew thick as he remembered how all the cops “scrambled to figure out what we were going to do.”
They called their command, and the detectives in Queens got ordered to report to Shea Stadium.
“As soon as I pulled into Shea Stadium, I’ll never forget a blood-curdling scream on the radios when the first tower was collapsing,” Cuddy said.
A captain grabbed him and told him to take his car and lead an FDNY battalion chief with two busloads of firemen to the towers.
“That was a crazy ride,” Cuddy said. We tried to get through the Midtown Tunnel, but both tunnels were being exited from Manhattan. We couldn’t get through,” he recalled. Next, they tried the 59th Street Bridge. “We couldn’t get over that. We finally got over the Triborough Bridge, and as we were coming down the West Side Highway, the second tower started falling,” he said. “Crazy.”
They were able to drive as far downtown as Canal Street. “Things were pandemonium,” Cuddy said.
“The cloud of dust was still pretty heavy, and and we just tried our best to search for people all day,” Cuddy recalled. One memory sticks with him so vividly he gets choked up talking about it.
“We found a body. It was a woman,” he said. Her clothes were “completely burnt off and she was completely decapitated. And I’ll never forget Bernie Malone looking me in the eye and saying, ‘What did she do to deserve that?’” He paused to gather himself. “Crazy,” he said again.
“So, alls I could say is we toiled down there all day,” and took breaks for runs back and forth to Shea Stadium…bringing people back doing rescue and recovery. And that night, I remember coming up the West Side Highway, and there were people screaming. We thought something happened, but they were cheering for us, and I’ll never forget that,” Cuddy said. “Thank you.”
Wooten thanked him for sharing his memories.
“It is our shared promise made 25 years ago to never forget, so those born after 9/11 learn its significance and its enduring legacy,” Wooten said.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, who was then a county legislator, stressed that everyone who remembers Sept. 11, 2001 must to do their part to “continue to educate people about the dangers and threats that our country faces and, while we think about that, to reflect on what happened immediately after.”
Romaine spoke of the unity that overswept the nation in the days, weeks and months after the attacks, when people placed “United We Stand” bumper stickers on their cars and flew the flag.
“We came together as a country, and despite what some people may think… when danger is there, we are united as a people. We will stand as a people and this country will endure,” Romaine said. “Let’s all come together. Let’s make sure that we contribute to having a better country, which we so desperately need.”
Riverhead Supervisor Jerry Halpin echoed those thoughts. “We cannot forget. We cannot allow the next generations to forget,” Halpin said. “I thank our state and county leaders for making sure that this place exists,” he said, referring to the World Trade Center Memorial Park on the corner of Edwards and Riley Avenues.
Edwards Avenue is a busy road, but passing motorists don’t even realize the park is there, Halpin said. He compared the park to “holy ground,” a place to come to remember those who have sacrificed their lives and have fought for the freedoms and the ability to smile,” Halpin said. Grieving is important, he said, but “tears run down your face for a reason…” he said. “They water your smile.”
The park was conceived by Calverton resident Hal Lindstrom, who coordinated its design and fundraising efforts. It consists of two large circular spaces, representing the twin towers. Lindstrom was on hand today for the ceremony. He thanked the Town of Riverhead Buildings and Grounds crew for maintaining the park.
“ I really appreciate it,” Lindstrom said. “Our hearts go out to the people whose perished on 9/11, especially the firemen, the policeman, the workers, and the people in those planes.”
Assembly Member Jodi Giglio, a former Riverhead Town Board member, said she is seeking state funding for repairs and upgrades at the town park.
A striking American flag woven of fire hoses, created by Riverhead fiber artist Sherry Davis, was on display at today’s ceremony. It will have a permanent home in Town Hall, officials said.
Davis and her partner Mark Alhadeff were living on East 11th Street in Manhattan in 2001. “My son was 3 years old,” she recalled. “He was watching cartoons on TV,” she said. When Alhadeff told her that a plane had hit the World Trade Center, she changed the channel to see the news and saw the burning tower. “I’m like, oh my God. I can’t let him see that.” So she changed the channel back to cartoons and went to the back door, which opened onto a courtyard. She looked outside just as the second plane hit, David said, “and it was, like, hundreds of birds, just, like, flew north. The whole sky was just birds flying off,” Davis recalled.
Vocalist Madonna Registrato performed “America the Beautiful,” “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “God Bless America.” Her husband Joe Registrato ran the sound system.
Riverhead Chief of Police Ed Frost and the officers of the Riverhead Police Department turned out, as did officers and members of the Riverhead and Wading River fire departments. Two fire trucks parked on Riley Avenue, with Riverhead’s ladder truck displaying a large American flag.
Riverhead Town Board members Ken Rothwell, Bob Kern and Denise Merrifield were in attendance, as was County Legislator Greg Doroski.
Riverhead High School’s NJROTC, accompanied by Commander David Chiaro, and members of Riverhead VFW Post 2476, presented the colors.
Pastor Joel Dupree of Living Water Church gave the invocation and benediction.
“Remember that Scripture tells us God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. So as we go, I ask that God comfort everybody that is still grieving, that He protects all of our community members that serve in in different places, police officers, EMT, military, firefighters. I ask that He gives us courage when courage is required, compassion when somebody is hurting, and strength to stand together when the world tries to divide us,” Dupree said in his closing prayer. “May we honor the fallen not simply by remembering how they died, but remembering how we are called to live: with courage over fear, unity over division, faith over despair, service over selfishness, and love over hatred.”
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti
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