It’s been 15 years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 impacted citizens of the United States, and as a way to pay homage to lives lost, a ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11 at the DeWitt 9/11 Memorial, 5400 Butternut Drive, East Syracuse.
The guest speaker at the ceremony will be Reverend Jose Colon, a retired New York Police Department Homicide Detective and current chaplain at St. Joseph’s Hospital who specializes in disaster response and first responder trauma.
In addition to the guest speaker, there will be a procession of the flags, music from a bagpiper and trumpeter, a 21 gun salute and the laying of wreaths. New to the ceremony this year is an appearance of the United States Navy Color Guard.
The following emergency service groups will be represented: DeWitt Fire Department, Jamesville Fire Department, Kirkville Fire Department, Manlius Fire Department, Minoa Fire Department, Fayetteville Fire Department, Lyncourt Fire Department, DeWitt Police Department, Town of Manlius Police Department, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department and the New York State Troopers.
“I think it’s important to keep the memory alive of the people who were lost and also to remember those affected by the tragedy,” said Elaine Lostumbo, who has helped put on this event for the past four years. “It helps keep those memories alive.”
The DeWitt 9/11 Memorial is made from a battered and twisted steel column from the debris of the World Trade Center, 21 feet high weighing approximately six tons. Thousands of people have visited the memorial since its dedication on Sept. 11, 2002.
