Local public safety officials, veterans, and town leaders gathered to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks
Reading, MA – Reading firefighters, police officers, emergency dispatchers, veterans, and town officials gathered for a remembrance ceremony marking 25 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Reading Fire Chief Richard Nelson opened the ceremony, which brought Reading’s fire, police, and emergency communications personnel together to remember those who died.
“We gathered here today, fire, police, and emergency communications together to remember September 11th, 2001,” Nelson said. “Most importantly, we are here to honor the 343 members of the Fire Department of New York, the 37 Port Authority officers, the 23 NYPD officers and eight personnel, the dispatchers who guided the response from behind the radio, and the other 2,566 lives that were lost that day.”
Deputy Police Chief Christine Amendola spoke about the people who responded that day.
“We stand together this morning because that day we answered together by firefighters, police officers, dispatchers, paramedics, and civilians who ran toward danger or stayed on the line to guide others through it,” Amendola said.
Father Patrick Armano from Austin Prep offered an invocation based on the prayer Pope Benedict XVI offered at Ground Zero in 2008. The blessing remembered the firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, Port Authority personnel, and civilians who died that day, as well as those who continue to suffer from injuries and illnesses connected to the attacks.
The ceremony included an invocation, the lowering of the American flag to half-staff, the ringing of the fire service bell in memory of the 343 FDNY firefighters who died, and a moment of silence.
Town Manager Jane Wellman spoke about the importance of remembering September 11 as another generation grows up without personal memories of the attacks.
“Remembrance now carries another responsibility,” Wellman said, “not only to remember, but to make sure that the meaning of the day is passed on.”
Select Board Chair Melissa Murphy then read a proclamation recognizing the 25th anniversary of September 11. The proclamation remembered the victims, including Reading’s own Kevin McCarthy, while honoring the firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, and civilians who responded with courage.
Murphy also recognized the families and loved ones who continue to carry the loss 25 years later. The proclamation highlighted compassion, unity, service, and the community’s commitment to caring for one another before concluding with a simple message: “May we never forget.”
Reading Veteran Service Officer William Valliere, a retired U.S. Army veteran, spoke about the impact of September 11 on veterans and military families in the years that followed.
“Never forget must be more than something we say during a ceremony,” Valliere said. “It must mean caring for our first responders. It must mean keeping faith with our veterans, our military families.”
Former Reading Town Manager Bob LeLacheur also shared personal memories of his connections to the World Trade Center and people he knew who were affected by the attacks.
The ceremony closed with remarks from Chief Nelson.
“25 years later, we still climb the stairs. We still answer the call,” Nelson said. “And that is the truest way that we can honor them.”
The ceremony ended with the retirement of the colors and a final thank-you to those who attended.
