Cover credit – Matt Meduri
Forever impassioned by the words “never forget,” the Town of Smithtown held its annual ceremony memorializing those lost in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.
The memorial was held at 3:00 on Wednesday afternoon at the 9/11 Memorial at Tide Park just off of Main Street in downtown Smithtown.
“The Bible tells us to remember; remember that there will always be darkness that attempts to extinguish the light; that darkness plays itself out on the world stage in every generation. But maybe more importantly, that darkness rears its ugly head daily in our own minds and hearts,” said Rabbi Mendel of Chabad Commack. “We remember what hate can accomplish, how it can take good people and turn them into monsters. We remember the people that died because of senseless hate. May them and their families find peace.”
However, Rabbi Mendel countered this with the encouraging words of the Bible and Torah.
“We remember it is also a call to action; remember what the love of a fellow human can accomplish, how it can take good people and turn them into selfless examples of all that is right with humanity,” said Rabbi Mendel. “Just as those possessed by evil did the wild and unreasonable, so too we must do kindness beyond reason. Just as a small handful of radicals bent on destruction have chained the landscape of our reality forever, how much more so can every one of us band together and become a force for all that is good, decent, and upstanding. Zohar, remember that in the darkest of times, we saw the humanity in each other.”
Town officials and dignitaries read the names of the fifty-five Smithtonians who perished in the attacks and from complications thereafter, with a bell chime accompanying each name.
Chief Fire Marshall Don Lynch gave a brief, emotional eulogy of his “friend and mentor” Matthew J. Burke.
“He was the first officer I had in the fire service,” said Lynch.
“It never gets easier.”
Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) thanked all involved for the organization of the ceremony, musicians, Town departments, community leaders, and armed services present for the memorial.
Closing remarks were delivered by Phil Alvarez, whose brother, Luis Alvarez, played a pivotal role in Congress’ 2019 passage of the September 11 Victims’ Compensation Fund. The fund guarantees healthcare for all first responders involved in the attacks and/or rescue and recovery efforts through 2090.
“Smithtown is where I have lived for thirty-four years and raised my children. The second place I call home is the place I go to work every day, where I coordinate the care of 14,000 first responders from 9/11 who come into the World Trade Center Health Program for their yearly monitoring,” said Alvarez. “It’s a place I’m honored to be every day.”
“A few hours ago, twenty-two years ago, my brother, Luis Alvarez, NYPD Detective (pictured left), laid boots on the ground at Ground Zero. It’s a place he stayed for three months, a place that was hallowed ground to him and so many of his brothers and sisters because of the mission that they were sent there to do. It was a time where this country was put down to its knees,” said Alvarez. “Sixteen years later, while my brother sat before Congress with John Stewart and John Field, the next day would be his sixty-eighth chemo treatment.”
Alvarez said that he asked his brother why he wanted Alvarez to take him to Washington, D.C.
“He said to me, ‘because I will never forget what I saw. I will never forget my brothers and sisters that went down there; my brothers and sisters who died; my brothers and sisters who came afterwards to lift us off our feet. I have to do this.’”
Two days after his return from Washington, Luis Alvarez entered hospice care and passed away on June 29, 2019.
“Exactly one month later, the September 11 Victims’ Compensation Fund Act was passed,” said Alvarez. “I miss him a lot, but he died at peace knowing what he was able to accomplish.”
“On behalf of the Alvarez family, it is truly an honor and a pleasure to be with so many first responders and residents of a town that truly live by the words, ‘never forget.’ To every Veteran and active-duty soldier, we will make you this promise: Smithtown will always honor you and your loved ones each and every day. This is how we keep the memories alive. This is how we never forget.”
The wreath-laying and rose-laying ceremony began, where attendees laid such ornamentations on the plaques of the names of the fallen at the base of the fountain. In the background, a poignant rendition of Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American,” with the lyrics of “from New York to L.A.” superimposed with an appropriate “from Smithtown to L.A.”
