23 Years Later, Berkshire Communities Remember 9/11
Dalton officials are joined by police, firefighters and community members at Sept. 11 observances outside Town Hall on Tuesday.
Mayor Peter Marchetti described it as "a day that most of us would probably like to forget." When he woke up this morning, the clear skies and sunshine eerily reminded him of the weather on that tragic day.
"There's been a number of these years that the weather is almost exactly the same to remind us of that treacherous day that we all were surprised," he added.
"You know, growing up in this generation, knowing all of the folks that say, 'Do you remember where you were when President Kennedy was shot?' Now my generation has 'Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001?'"
Five Berkshire County soldiers lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars: Sgt. 1st Class Daniel H. Petithory, 32, of Cheshire; Spc. Michael R. DeMarsico II, 20, of North Adams; and Spc. Mitchell K. Daehling, 24, of Dalton, all in Afghanistan; and Sgt. Glenn R. Allison, 24, of Pittsfield, and Chief Warrant Officer Stephen M. Wells, 29, of North Egremont, in Iraq.
The ceremony took place around the city's Iraq and Afghanistan War Memorial, dedicated four years ago to honor the men and others lost. A time capsule was buried at the monument with items that were provided by their family members and will be opened in 2101.
Brian Willette, commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and an Army veteran, said it is "our first duty to remember and to never allow the public or even ourselves to forget the significance of today and what happened next."
Marchetti also stressed the importance of remembrance. He understood the true impact of his father's service to the Army when he received a full military burial.
"My grandfather was a veteran, my dad was a veteran," he said.
"We never talked about it and so I hope that we can come together and talk about it more often because it's easy to forget and this is one thing that we can't do. We can't forget."
Willette said U.S. soldiers knew this was their calling, what they were sent to do, and why they joined the service. What they could not have imagined was their children later joining them on the battlefield.
"My daughter was 16 at the time (of 9/11,) my son was 10. As it turns out, my daughter was the first one to see action out of any of us in a rocket attack at Baghdad International Airport in 2009 and my son himself would earn the Purple Heart six months after I did in Afghanistan," he said.
"We could not imagine that that would be the case."
He said less than one percent of the general public fought the ensuing wars for 20 years after the attacks and it was a challenge to keep going.
"I was honored to be there in 2010 during the search to really bring the Taliban to their knees, 2009, 2010, and 2011, and to really bring them to the negotiating table to find find a way to end the war and ultimately, that was successful," he said.
"How the war ended just a few years ago was a tragedy at the [Abbey Gate outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport] but I have to say it's no more tragic than all the lives ever lost up until then. Being in the military is a dangerous business, and everybody who was at Abbey Gate that day knew that."
Willette pointed out that members of the Massachusetts National Guard 181st Infantry are currently providing force security at a base in Iraq and are under fire.
"So it's still going on. It's still going on being held up by a small group of people defending this country," he said.
He believes that the country is in good hands and patriotism is still alive. Though, he emphasized the importance of not isolating as a nation.
"There's an isolationist trend that's returning in our thought process, in our dialog, which is very bad," Willette said.
"We cannot isolate from the world events. We are the world's leader. It's a position we must maintain because no one can do it like us and yes, there is sacrifice involved with that commitment."
Master of ceremonies Arnie Perras, commander of VFW Post 448, thanked all involved with the unique monument and urged younger veterans to join the organization.
Dalton
As cars passed by on the busy main street in Dalton, town employees, police and firefighters could be seen standing below the flag that was at half-staff.
Police Chief Deanna Strout and Fire Department Lt. Tyler Colby stood alongside both departments' chaplain John David "J.D." Hebert as he read a tribute for the 9/11 first responders.
Hebert, who has been serving as a first responder for three decades, wrote the tribute and everyone to take a moment to honor the "lives lost and the courage shown" on that day and asked them to reflect on their own experience that day.
"What I loved about what our chaplain did is he [asked] all the first responders what their memories were," said Strout.
"And some of them are so young here that they weren't even born, or some of them were in school. So, it was nice to hear everyone's perspectives on what their memory was."
In his tribute, Hebert included the time the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, 10:28 a.m., and the number of first responders who perished while saving others from the attack.
Strout read that 72 law enforcement officers lost their lives in the attack, and Colby that 343 firefighters died helping others.
"The memories of Sept. 11th are etched into our hearts. We remember the faces of those who were lost, the bravery of our first responders, and the resilience of our communities. We remember the unity that brought us together in a time of crisis," Hebert said.
"Today, we reflect on the impact of the tragedy and how it has shaped our perspectives and community."
Strout said, "It's just important for us to never forget those sacrifices, and, you know, especially the unity of our country the next day. And I think we all should strive to have that and get that back."
Ceremonies like these allow us to remember and respect the history and those who gave their lives that day, especially for those who may not be able to remember, Colby said.
"We come to work every day knowing that we could be put in situations and the ones that lost their lives that day made the ultimate sacrifice that we take great pride in. So, it's nice to honor them and keep the keep their memory alive," he said.
"Obviously, 9/11 was a tough day. No one really wants to relive the memory, but I think it's a very good thing to keep in your mind and actually keep those memories alive, just for the sake of the fallen that we lost that day."
At 6:30 p.m., the Great Barrington Fire Department will hold a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the firehouse on State Road.
Tags: 9/11, memorial,
