By Associated Press
West Seneca, NY – About 300 people attended a somber "Day of Remembrance" in West Seneca Saturday for the victims, survivors, and emergency personnel from Western New York who were involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and their aftermath.
At the West Seneca Soccer Complex, Leigh Macadlo recalled her twin brother, a businessman who died in the collapse of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Leonard Castrianno, 30, was a broker for Cantor-Fitzgerald.
"I'm speechless," Macadlo said. "It's been a very hard morning. It's been the longest three years of my life."
Macadlo and Castrianno had attended Williamsville East High School. A tearful Macadlo said this will always be an important day for her to be with family and friends. "It's good to be here in the community," she said.
Emergency personnel from nine fire, police, and emergency service departments took part in the Saturday morning ceremony, which included a flyover by two helicopters, an honor guard gunfire salute and the release of doves into the air.
Those who were at ground zero in Manhattan shared their experiences. "I went with the first crew of paramedics and we still console each other," said Fr. Joe Bayne, a chaplain for the Erie County Department of Emergency Services.
He said 32 Emergency Medical Service, volunteer fire department and rescue squad units drove about 13 hours round-trip to and from New York City to work 24 straight hours in the relief effort. Bayne said he would never forget the scene.
"It was still burning," Bayne said. "The dust was heavy. The fire gear I used is now history."
He said crews were still trying to find remains when Erie County emergency personnel arrived.
"The teamwork despite the sadness." Bayne said. "Don't take life for granted. Sometimes we take life for granted. We need to pull together."
Sgt. Daniel Frontera, of West Seneca, serving in the Army's 152nd Engineers Division, worked in recovery efforts. "I stand here to ask you never to forget Sept. 11, to never forget to fly the flag, to never forget those who laid down their lives for us," he said.
Moments of silence were observed for when a hijacked plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, and when a second plane struck the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.
Special services were also held at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, where an exhibit of artifacts from Ground Zero is on display, and at a memorial grove along the Ellicott Creek bike path in Amherst.
Copyright 2004, The Associated Press