Aurora came together Saturday to remember the 2,977 lives lost during the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, and honor six of the city’s firefighters who went to help in the rescue and recovery efforts in New York City.
With several hundred people seated at the east end of the newly-built RiverEdge Park Bridge, the ceremony began when a bell tolled at 7:46 a.m. to mark the time Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
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Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin reflected on the “horrific morning” and how quickly things can change in a minute in one’s life.
“Whether it is a specific minute when four planes crashed or when the towers fell the lives of nearly 3,000 people were brought to an end,” Irvin said.
About four dozen Aurora police officers and firefighters walked across the bridge when the second bell tolled at 8:03 a.m. to signify when Flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center’s South Tower.
Bells were also sounded at 8:37 a.m. and 9:03 a.m. to remember Flight 77’s crash into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C, and Flight 93’s crash near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Irvin said it must have felt like an eternity for those who witnessed the terrorist attacks, and for those who lost family members that day.
There was some light to come out of the darkness, the mayor said.
“True American spirit, patriotism and service were reborn and had a cascade effect around this nation and around the world,” Irvin said.
The mayor remarked that many people after the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, made a commitment to serve and protect their communities by becoming first responders or joining the military.
Irvin mentioned the six firefighters from Aurora who went to help with rescue and recovery efforts in New York City after 9/11. The firefighters were honored for their service at Saturday’s observance.
The six who were honored are Aurora Fire Department Battalion Chief Jason Demas, Battalion Chief Randy Leek, Capt. Will Torres, retired Fire Marshal Gary Pozzi, retired Assistant Fire Chief Gary Mark Lockwood and retired Battalion Fire Chief Tim Pogue.
“They took a literal and figurative journey that would forever change their lives. We are grateful for their courage and commitment,” Irvin said.
The six firefighters, after a 16-hour drive to New York as part of an Illinois contingent, arrived in the early morning hours of Sept. 13. They worked for four straight days on rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site and returned home “forever impacted” by what they witnessed in those days, Irvin said.
Demas, a 24-year veteran firefighter, spoke on behalf of the group of firefighters at the Aurora event.
“Some of us arrived on shift that morning while some of us were getting off shift when news broke that a plane hit the first tower,” he said. “We were talking about how hard a day the New York firefighters were going to have. At first we thought it was a small plane that hit the tower … then the next plane hit. We knew that we were being attacked and the feeling in the station changed.”
The department’s operations chief announced that personnel would be deployed with a team from Chicago to assist in New York, he said.
“Every person that day wanted to serve in some capacity,” Demas said.
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, thanked the Aurora firefighters for their work after the 9/11 attacks.
“We are proud to know you and have the honor of saying we have such brave and selfless individuals in our community,” he said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.