Warwick remembers 9/11

Warwick paused this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, gathering at Memorial Park for a solemn ceremony honoring the seven local residents whose lives were cut short that day.

The commemoration drew together town and village officials, first responders and community members for a service centered on remembrance

Among those remembered was Peter Gyulavary, an engineer who died when the Twin Towers collapsed, and Linda Gronlund, an attorney who was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 when it went down in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back against their hijackers. The ceremony also honored five FDNY firefighters with ties to Warwick who died in the line of duty that morning: Michael Fodor, John Ginley, Stephen Harrell Jr., Bruce Van Hine and John Williamson.

Rev. John Lashuay opened the service with an invocation, setting a reflective tone for the gathering before elected officials rose to speak.

Warwick Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer addressed the crowd, as did Village of Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard. Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler also spoke, along with a representative from the office of state Assemblyman Karl Brabenec. Each speaker touched on themes that have become familiar at Warwick’s annual observance: the weight of loss carried by families and neighbors, the courage shown by first responders that day, those who succumbed to the aftermath of the toxic air breathed throughout the aftermath, and the responsibility of each new generation to remember what happened even as the anniversary recedes further into history.

Dwyer reminded attendees to remember what it was like on Sept. 12: “Out of an unimaginable tragedy we witnessed an unbroken bond among Americans. Strangers comforted one another; neighbors looked out for each other; and our nation stood shoulder to shoulder in a spirit of unity and shared resolve. Today I encourage each of us to reflect upon that same unity that carried us forward after 911.”