First responders
POUGHKEEPSIE – Mayor Robert Rolison joined first responders and community members at the City of Poughkeepsie’s 9-11 Memorial Park at City Hall to mark the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on American soil.
Moss: “Stay vigilant”
New York Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major Curtiss Moss was a part-time cannon crewman in the Guard on the day of the attacks. He was in Manhattan for his civilian job when a co-worker informed him of the attacks.
The guardsman immediately went into service and was stationed at Ground Zero for security details for several weeks. Including his service at Ground Zero, Moss has 26 years of military service between the Army and the New York National Guard. He said it is of utmost importance never to forget.
“It means a lot to be able to remember it for all those who lost their lives that day and pay them honor every year,” Moss said.
As keynote speaker, Moss said that we, as a country, “need to stay vigilant in our efforts to rid the world of terrorism.” Moss serves as the commander for the 369th Special Troops Battalion, the largest battalion in New York with over 1,100 soldiers under his command.
Rolison was a Town of Poughkeepsie Police detective on the day of the attacks and recalled that he and his colleagues were at the ready to do whatever was needed. He also recognized the ongoing efforts of the Poughkeepsie Fire and Police departments in their unwavering commitment to public safety.
The mayor made special note of the state court officers who were at the ceremony. Rolison told those gathered that the officers lost co-workers that day and they rarely receive recognition for their efforts to assist.
Rolison closed the remarks part of the ceremony by reminding attendees of how the country pulled together in the days and weeks following the attacks and said “now more than ever we need to think about one another” and suggested that we use this day as a reminder to “re-dedicate ourselves to our communities.”
Randy Ross of the Poughkeepsie Kiwanis Club, credited with coming up with the plan for the park a few years ago, was on hand for the ceremony and called the park that contains twisted pieces of steel from the World Trade Center “a park to remember that day.”
