Troop 3 Scout Jackson Cotter with members of the Troop (photo by Jean Falbo-Sosnovich).
DERBY — Jackson Cotter, a member of Derby Boy Scout Troop 3, was not born when one of the darkest days in the history of the United States happened, yet he believes it’s very important to participate in the city’s annual Sept. 11 ceremony.
“I don’t want to forget history and I just want to be able to understand what happened,” said Jackson, whose father is a volunteer with Paugassett Hook & Ladder Co. No. 4 and whose grandfather was in the Storm Engine Ambulance Corps.
Jackson was among a crowd of about 100 firefighters, police, scouts, motorcycle clubs, city officials and residents who braved torrential rain Monday to gather on the Derby Green to mark 22 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The Derby Fire Department hosts the annual ceremony to honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 people who died when terrorists flew two commercial airliners into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in lower Manhattan and another into the Pentagon, and also hijacked an airplane that ultimately crashed in Pennsylvania when passengers rallied in an effort to thwart the terrorists’ deadly plot.
“We are grateful and we are blessed to have this group of volunteers help our city, so thank you for what you do, and never, ever forget,” said Mayor Richard Dziekan.
Derby Fire Commissioner Gary Parker said it’s important to ensure future generations know what happened and the sacrifices first responders made on that tragic September day.
“We’re 22 years out now, fast approaching the quarter of a century mark and even today you can see there’s many children here who were not even born when this terrible event occurred,” Parker said. “I think it’s incumbent on each and every one of us, especially those of us in emergency services, to educate where we can, and get into the schools, to make sure this event is not lost in the history books.”
Derby Fire Chief Michael F. Gloade, who watched the tragic events of Sept. 11 unfold on his television like millions of other Americans, remembered being in awe of the 343 NYFD firefighters who ran into the burning Twin Towers without regard for their own safety, and lost their lives as a result.
“I never thought about being a firefighter until the Towers fell, I wanted to find a way to give back and 22 years later this is where I am and I’m happy that I chose this path,” he said.
The ceremony, which lasted about 30 minutes, featured guest speaker Andrew Fierlit, a decorated U.S. Army veteran and captain of the Bridgeport Fire Department.
“The 9/11 attack was the deadliest terror attack to date claiming almost 3,000 lives that morning, I can still remember that morning today,” Fierlit said. “I was sitting in my living room with my daughter on my lap watching it unfold on television. I was dumbfounded, numb, knowing as a firefighter then that my brothers were inside paying the ultimate sacrifice.”
Fierlit recalls the months that followed 9/11 where patriotism shone brighter than ever.
“I can remember the patriotism that all Americans shared — we said hello to everyone, we showed concern for our fellow Americans that day and in the months that followed. And as proof of that, the year following the attack, the military recruited more than 181,000 people who wanted to pay back those terrorists, people who wanted to ensure that those who harmed America would never do it again.”
The memorial features an actual steel I‑beam recovered from one of the fallen towers, which former Derby Fire Chief William Nicoletti spearheaded the effort to raise money for the permanent tribute, selling commemorative bricks that created a circular walkway and sidewalk around the memorial.
Before the close of the ceremony, former Derby Fire Chief David Lenart announced the latest addition to the Sept. 11 memorial on the Derby Green.
The new addition is a granite memorial bench where people can sit and reflect, dedicated to all four branches of the military. Lenart said the bench was made possible with donations from several local businesses, including Adzima’s Funeral Home and Seccombe’s Brothers Memorials. DiGiovanni & Sons Construction (owned by mayoral candidate Gino DiGiovanni, Jr.) installed the base and the bench.
