Community Remembers Local Heroes Lost on 9/11
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
The Maspeth community gathered on Sept 6 at Maspeth Memorial Park to honor residents and first responders lost in the September 11, 2001, attacks, including members of FDNY Squad 288 and Hazmat 1, as well as those who later died from 9/11-related illnesses.
The annual ceremony, hosted by Maspeth Federal Savings and Kenneth Rudzewick, included prayers, musical performances, and the reading of victims’ names. FDNY EMT Hilda Vannata of Battalion 14 was specifically remembered this year. Kathleen Nealon sang the national anthem, and Liz and Bill Huisman performed “I Will Remember You.” Community members and first responders placed small American flags at the monument as each name was read.
Congresswoman Grace Meng highlighted the ongoing support for victims and first responders. “We recommit ourselves to the solemn responsibility of remembrance, not only through words but through action. We must ensure those impacted by the 9/11 attacks get the resources, benefits, and justice they deserve. Locally, we’re in the final steps of securing $2 million for the firehouse that lost more firefighters than anywhere else in the city,” she said.
Councilman Robert Holden recalled the attacks and the courage of first responders. “When the second plane hit, we knew we were under attack. Maspeth is America, and this is sacred ground. We must remember the brave firefighters who perished here, and it’s important that we landmark this firehouse for future generations,” he said.
Assembly Member Steven Raga emphasized the duty to remember. “It’s not just the history of Maspeth or Queens—it’s the history of New York and our country. We have a responsibility to honor those we lost and ensure future generations understand their sacrifice,” he said.
The ceremony concluded with a prayer by Rev. Msgr. Joseph Calise, invoking the words of Saint Francis: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace… It is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
