| |
September 11th Monument Dedication
With all the pomp and circumstance that it deserves, Springfield's September 11th Monument will be dedicated on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at 7pm in Riverfront Park.
Making a special trip to Springfield for the dedication will be former
White House Cabinet Member Andrew Card, Jr. He had the monumental task of sharing the news of the attacks on September 11, 2001, with President George W. Bush as the President was reading to a classroom of second graders.
In addition to Mr. Card, the program
will include greetings from Congressman Richard Neal and Mayor Domenic Sarno.
Remembrances will be offered by Edward Cetnar, Superintendent of Police/Director of Public Safety, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Brigadier General John Driscoll, Commander, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Springfield Fire Commissioner B. J. Calvi, and Springfield Acting Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood.
Escorted by police motorcycle units from Springfield and surrounding
communities, a police cruiser, ambulance and fire engine will roll out
across the Memorial Bridge to Riverfront Park. As the sirens go silent, the names of the 498 first responders listed on Springfield's September 11th Monument will be read.
The ceremony will conclude with a rifle salute, the playing of taps, the retiring of colors, and lights casting the shadow from the World Trade Center artifact on to the bronze wall. The shadow of the Twin Towers will fill a blank space between the engraved names.
Special guests attending the dedication include
Bradley Blakeman, former
Deputy Assistant to the President George W. Bush for Appointments and Scheduling, Vetting and Research, Correspondence and Surrogate Scheduling,
Deputy Inspector Kenneth Quick, New York City Police Department, Jan Seidler Ramirez, Executive Vice President of Collections & Chief Curator, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, as well as several New York City Firefighters and Police Officers.
|
|
Making of the Monument
In 2016, Salmon Studios presented three design options for Springfield's September 11th Monument. They knew the first time they saw the artifact from the World Trade Center that it was a vertical beam and that should be returned to its upright position in the memorial.
Next was finding the perfect location. With the many changes being made to Springfield's landscape, this was a difficult task. When plans started to take shape, Riverfront Park was determined to be the premier resting place for the nine and a half foot tall i-beam gifted to the Spirit of Springfield by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The team from Salmon Studios in Florence (MA), began engineering how the steel beam should be installed and perfecting the perfect angles for the lights to shine. They worked with 3-D models. Holes were drilled to be sure it was properly mounted and those shavings were saved.
After the Spirit of Springfield spent weeks of gathering and
investigating whose names should be on the bronze wall, the arduous task of engraving 7,932 characters for the 498 names began.
The
wall was polished to perfection. It was put in place with a crane.
As work around the monument was completed, lights were installed, tested for angles.
"
It was an
honor for our entire company and all involved to be part of such a moving and important monument," said Sam Ostroff, Salmon Studio's Owner. "The bronze surface of the memorial wall will age and change with time, but the engraved names will forever be visible and remembered."
|
|
Fundraising Goal Met
Springfield's September 11th Monument Fundraising Committee set out to raise the funds needed to construct a lasting tribute to the first responders. Under the leadership of Frank Colaccino, President of The Colvest Group and Chair of the Fundraising Committee, they exceeded their goal.
 The members of the committee reached out to businesses both large and small. The MassMutual Foundation and Steve and Georgianne Roberts both gave $25,000. The Crowley Family Charitable Fund gave $10,000, as did the Springfield Thunderbirds Foundation, AECOM Tishman, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, Springfield Business Improvement District and the Springfield Ride to Remember. At the City of Bright Nights Ball, guests raised their hand with commitments totalling $15,000. A GoFundMe page was set up. Val-Pak of Western Massachusetts included inserts in two mailings.
Members of Springfield's
September 11
th
Monument Fundraising
Committee are Mayor Domenic Sarno (Honorary Chair), Commissioner B. J. Calvi (Honorary Co-Chair), Acting Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood (Honorary Co-Chair), Frank Colaccino (Chair), The Colvest Group, Matthew Bannister, PeoplesBank, Anthony Cignoli, A. L. Cignoli Company, Charlie Arment, Charlie Arment Trucking, Sheila Doiron, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, Dennis Duquette, MassMutual Foundation, Kyle Houser, Val-Pak Western Massachusetts, Chris Marion, Chris Marion Photography, Paul Phaneuf, St. Pierre-Phaneuf Funeral Chapels, Jason Rucker, MGM Springfield, Chris Russell, Springfield Business Improvement District, and CMSgt Maryanne Walts, 104
th
Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base.
Thank you to every donor, large and small, who contributed to the monument that will forever be a tribute to the first responders who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
|
|
Names on the Wall
A bronze wall, 9-feet by 12-feet, stands in the shadow of an artifact from the World Trade Center. On it lists 498 names of first responders who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Some ran into buildings to save others. Some were sitting at their desks at The Pentagon, and one was traveling from New Jersey to San Francisco.
It was with the assistance
from the
National September 11th Memorial
and Museum that the Spirit of Springfield was able to confirm the names. In addition to the fire fighters, police officers, military personnel, there are also members of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that were key to the rescue operations. James William Barbella was a property manager. Douglas Gene Karpiloff was the Security and Life Safety Director. David Ortiz was a locksmith. K-9 Sirius was also a member of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who lost his life.
 There are two New York City Firefighters with identical names, Michael Francis Lynch. There is a father and a son, a pair of cousins and four sets of brothers. New York City Firefighter Brian Edward Sweeney played a key role in the happiness of Rachel Roberts Combe.
She is the daughter of Steve Roberts, F. L. Robert's Founder. Brian introduced her to her husband, Rolland Combe.
In 2008, former Springfield Fire Commissioner
Gary Cassanelli and
former Police
Commissioner William
Fitchet made it their mission to bring an artifact from the World Trade Center to Springfield. They wanted it to honor the first responders
.
|
|
WWLP-TV22 TO STREAM EVENT
WWLP-22News will broadcast Springfield's September 11th Monument Dedication Ceremony live on wwlp.com starting at 5pm. They will also have live television coverage during the news broadcasts starting at 5pm and in-depth stories with September 11th first responders, Salmon Studios, local ties, history and more.
|
|
| |
|
|
GREETINGS
B. J. Calvi,
Commissioner,
Springfield Fire Department
The events that happened on September 11
2001, not only effected the City of New York Fire Department, but fire departments nationwide both large and small.
The members of that department made the ultimate sacrifice that day trying to save the lives of citizens that were trapped in the buildings after the attack. Firefighters knew that when they entered those buildings that the nation was under attack and that they may not survive the day, but they went in anyway. They donned their gear and climbed the stairs to start assisting victims of the attack, with no regard for the danger.
The events of that day and the sacrifices of the brave individuals
memorialized
on this wall should never be forgotten and guide our actions as we move forward.
Lest we forget.
Cheryl Clapprood,
Acting Commissioner, Springfield Police Department
I think everyone remembers where they were when they saw or heard about the September 11th
attacks.
I had just woken up from a nap after working the overnight shift and called my mother. She asked, "Are you calling because we're under attack?" She told me to turn on the TV.
A lot of our officers just came in. It's an innate quality. When tragedies happen, we respond. It's what we're made of. We want to help.
This monument will be a permanent reminder of the first
responders who just wanted to help on 9/11, their courage and bravery will forever be on display.
|
|
|
