Norfolk gathers to dedicate a memorial to those who died

By Virginia Coleman-Prisco

Just as communities banded together on September 11, 2001, our local community came together this year to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the events.  The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD) hosted a dedication of a 9/11 memorial on the morning of September 11, 2021.  The memorial’s centerpiece includes a portion of steel from the World Trade Center in New York City.  The steel has been in the NVFD’s possession for a few years and this past winter they put together a group to organize finalizing a memorial that would be ready for the 20^th anniversary.  Local organizations that donated their time and resources to the memorial include Gary Heaney from Cornwall Bridge Granite Co., LLC for monument work; Ryan McAllister from Norfolk for concrete work; Norfolk Public Works Department, Planning and Zoning Commission and first selectman for site location, prep, and guidance; Century Concrete for supplying and delivering materials; Mountaintop Trucking in Winsted for cut granite and Matt Bannerman from Norfolk for painting the bell cradle.  

The dedication ceremony took place on the NVFD’s grounds.  The ceremony started promptly at 8:30 a.m. with Chief Matthew Ludwig welcoming everyone and leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Reverend Erick Olsen from Norfolk’s Church of Christ Congregational gave the invocation with a blessing for the day and Anna Hester sang the national anthem.  Fireman Paul Padua started the dedication while Daryl Byrne conducted the first of four bell tolling periods at 8:46 a.m. The first set of bells corresponded with the time the North Tower of the World Trade Center was struck by American Airlines Flight 11.  

Matt Wells played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes, then Daryl Byrne spoke to the audience about his experience as a responding firefighter at the Trade Center site. He was an active firefighter who was sent to the site to take part in recovery efforts. At 9:03 a.m. the second bell ringing occurred to signify when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. State Representative Maria Horn spoke afterwards, followed by a song from a group of Botelle students and their music teacher, Sandy Kleisner.  

Soprano Jordan Rose Lee followed, with a song titled “I’ll be Here,” from Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon. In the song, a woman reminisces about her previous relationship with a man who was killed on 9/11, but she hears him tell her, “You’re allowed to move on, it’s ok.” Lee recalls how she herself, “was 18 on 9/11 and it shaped my thinking as a young adult.”  She believes song is appropriate for the 20th anniversary, because it’s about individual human loss on that day. She says, “it is a hopeful song, because even though we endure pain and carry loss in our hearts, there is always an opportunity to live in love, if we have the courage to try.”

The third bell tolling happened at 9:37 a.m. to indicate when American Airlines Flight 77 impacted the Pentagon building.  Afterwards, the NVFD’s own Casey Ludwig played 

Taps and the Botelle students sang again before many had to leave for their rescheduled soccer games.  The last bell tolling happened at 10:03 a.m. to signify when United Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Penn. after a struggle between passengers and the hijackers.  The intended target for the plane is believed to have been the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

The ceremony closed with Father David Dawson from St. Martin of Tours Parish in Norfolk giving the benediction and Matt Wells playing one last song on the bagpipes. 

 Second Assistant Fire Chief Jon Barbagallo, who is also NVFD’s Public Information Officer, helped organize and emcee the event.  He recalled that certain moments such as the playing of Taps and Amazing Grace were emotional for himself and the crowd, but that recognizing the events and having a memorial are important to the Norfolk community.  He explained how the base of the memorial is made of concrete and able to be moved when a new firehouse is constructed.  

The memorial remains in place and is available to view in front of the firehouse on Shepard Road.