Deputy Fire Chief Christopher Beecher describes the history of the East Longmeadow Fire Department’s American flags during the station’s 9/11 vigil.
Reminder Publishing photo by Laura Mason
EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow Fire Department hosted a candlelight vigil on Sept. 11 at the fire station to honor and remember those impacted by the terrorist attacks against the country on Sept. 11, 2001.
The event featured Southwick Fire Chaplain Dan Valeri, state Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield), state Rep. Brian Ashe (D-Longmeadow), state Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow) and Town Council President Connor O’Shea as speakers. Each spoke briefly and highlighted the importance of remembering those who died in the 9/11 attacks 23 years ago and who continue to protect American lives today.
Deputy Fire Chief Christopher Beecher began the ceremony by highlighting the flags that flew in front of the fire station, noting that one was donated by former Building Inspector Daniel Hellyer after it was flown in Afghanistan during Hellyer’s station there with the U.S. Navy and the other, donated by a resident, was inscribed with the names of those who died in the 9/11 attacks.
“Why do we commemorate 9/11?” Valeri asked during his blessing. “Because we need reminders. Reminders of how dangerous the world is, reminders of the bravery in the face of danger, reminders of patriotism and pride in our country, reminders because we need to remember that in a divided nation there was a time when we came together and helped one another.”
“We need reminders because the families of the 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, eight EMTs and 2,977 people that died that day are reminded every day by the absence of their lives ones,” Valeri said. He thanked first responders for their “sacrifice and service [and]… hard work” for the country.
East Longmeadow’s annual 9/11 vigil began on Sept. 18, 2001 when members of the Fire Department held a small candlelight vigil at the station, Beecher said. The group continued to host the vigil every Tuesday night until May 2002, when “rescue personnel had finished their work at the site in New York City.” Former Fire Chief P. Robert Wallace officially started the department’s annual vigil in September 2002.
In his remarks, O’Shea highlighted how the vigil was vital for younger people that “weren’t necessarily born to witness the magnitude of the attacks and to truly understand the differences between the post and pre-9/11 world.”
Similarly, Oliveira noted that “70 million Americans” were born in the country since the attacks and do not remember the day, stating that new first responders could have been born after the attacks.
“It’s important to point out that even though 3,000 people were lost on that day, there have been thousands of others that have died because of the effects of 9/11,” Oliveira emphasized. “Those who have succumbed to mental illness, those who have succumbed to rare forms of cancer and many of them were first responders.”
Ashe noted the dedication of first responders, stating that “it’s not always what’s going on the day they’re doing the job, but it’s always the next day what could happen.” He discussed the uncertainty of first responders’ work, emphasizing their commitment to helping others despite the danger they regularly experience.
Likewise, Puppolo talked about how the first responders at the day of the attacks “could have easily walked away but they stayed in and they made sure they tried to rescue” everyone. He thanked the East Longmeadow Fire Department and Police Department for their work to protect residents and “continue to save lives despite the fact that it’s not an easy job to do day in and day out.”
Following the remarks, firefighter and paramedic Gianna Driscoll read a memorial poem and firefighter Ed McCandlish performed a last alarm service to the firefighters who died in the 9/11 attacks. This service represents the final call that each firefighter answered through four sets of five tolls of the bell, Beecher explained.
The ceremony concluded with a performance of Amazing Grace on bagpipes by East Longmeadow student Brenden Schmidt.
