The Syracuse Police and Fire Department gracefully marched to the Forman Park police memorial Thursday morning to honor those who died on 9-11-2001. Side by side, the members bowed their heads in respect to those who sacrificed their lives.
Before the moment of silence began, Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney, Syracuse City Chief of Staff Bill Ryan, City Police Chief Frank Fowler and Syracuse Fire Chief Paul Linnertz lit candles. Two pedestals with lanterns represented the Twin Towers. Standing tall and bright, the perfectly aligned candles symbolized the once standing North and South towers of the World Trade Center in 2001 and those lost on that fateful day.
A long moment of silence was marked at 8:46 AM with a brief fire engine siren, also the time when the first of the twin towers were struck by an airliner. Another siren at 9:03 AM signaled the end of the long period of silence to honor those lost, followed by a song played with bagpipes. One by one, the firefighters and police marched diligently out of the park and a feeling of sadness and loss was present. Two separate flags are on display with the names of Emergency Service Providers and another with the names of civilian victims. This marked the 13th annual 9/11 remembrance service in Syracuse.
