A crowd gathered under cloudy skies in Jean Cochran Park this morning to commemorate the 15-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.
The ceremony was mostly silent, focused on reflection and remembering “the 3,000 souls lost on Sept. 11.”
To kick off the ceremony, members of the Southold High School chorus performed the National Anthem in three-part harmony before the first ringing of the bells.
An old firetruck bell was tolled 15 times, one for each year that has passed since the terrorist attacks. The bell was rung at 9:59 a.m. and 10:28 a.m., the times at which the two towers fell.
Chaplin Thomas Roslak, a member of the Cutchogue Fire Department, shared words of inspiration with the crowd.
“We watched in horror as men whose hearts were filled with hatred destroyed the lives of thousands of innocent people. But our hearts also swelled with pride as we saw hundred of Americans, with hearts full of love, sacrifice their lives trying to save others,” Roslak said.
“We pray for peace as we remember the attacks. Help us remember what it means to be Americans. Help us to cherish the freedoms we enjoy, that inspire us to stand with courage, united as one nation, under God, in the midst of any adversary,” Roslak prayed.
The ceremony then fell silent for around twenty minutes, while audience members reflected on the loss suffered 15 years ago. A wreath was laid at the base of the Sept. 11 memorial statue. Members of the fire departments that serve Southold Town saluted the wreath as the ceremony concluded.
Before the ceremony, volunteers from local Girl Scouts troops helped hand out and place flags along the processional path of the ceremony and around the memorial. Members of the community were invited before and after the ceremony to place a flag of their own.
“We will never forget the nearly 3,000 souls lost that day. Each of these flags represent a soul we all lost that day,” said organizer Tracey Orlando. “Place one in the park, and find peace.”
