SUNY Plattsburgh Remembers Those Lost in 9/11 Attacks, in Years to Follow
More than 100 people gathered at Hawkins Pond Thursday to pay their respects to those who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, including three SUNY Plattsburgh alumni, during the university’s annual remembrance ceremony.
On a warm, sunny Tuesday morning 24 years ago, hijackers slammed two passenger planes into the Twin Towers in New York City, followed by a third plane that was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., and a fourth that was downed in a Shanksville, Pa., field. The four crashes claimed the lives of nearly 3,000, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in human history.
Thousands more were injured, and long-term health effects have risen over the years since.
‘Honor Lives Lost’
Thursday, Karen McGrath, vice president for enrollment and student success, welcomed everyone, telling those gathered that they did so “not only to remember the tragic events of Sept. 1, 2001, but also to honor the lives lost, the bravery of first responders and the resilience of our nation,” she said.
“Though 24 years have passed, the memory remains fresh in our hearts. On this day, we paus as a community to reflect, to remember and to renew our commitment to unity, compassion and service,” McGrath said. “My this beautiful setting remind us that even in times of tragedy, hope and peace can endure.”
President Alexander Enyedi then stepped forward to read the now-famous timeline of 9/11 events:
- At 8:46 a.m., hijackers deliberately crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into floors 93 through 99 of the North Tower
- At 9:03 a.m., hijackers deliberately crashed United Airlines Flight 175 into floors 77 through 95 of the South Tower
- At 9:37 a.m., hijackers deliberately crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C.
- At 9:59 a.m., the South Tower collapsed
- At 10:03 a.m., after learning of the other attacks, passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 launched a counterattack on hijackers aboard their plane to try to seize control of the aircraft. In response, hijackers crashed the plane into an empty field near Shanksville, Pa.
- At 10:28 a.m., the North Tower collapsed, leaving the 16-acre World Trade Center site in ruins with collateral damage affecting all adjacent properties and streets. The rescue effort commenced immediately
“At this time,” Enyedi said, “I ask that we bow our heads in remembrance as we mark the moments of that tragic morning with the tolling of the bell.” University Police Chief Pat Rascoe struck a bell six times, one for each of the events on the 9/11 timeline.
“Today, we remember each of the nearly 3,000 lives lost, including the firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and everyday citizens who rushed to help others,” Enyedi said. “We also honor the countless families and loved ones forever changed by that day. Here in New York, and across the nation, their memory lives on.”
The Loss of Alumni
SUNY Plattsburgh mourned the loss that day of two of its own — Robert Sutcliffe, a 1984 grad and broker at Harvey, Young and Yurman, who was having a breakfast meeting at Windows on the World on the 107th floor of the North Tower, and William Erwin, a 1992 grad and broker with Cantor Fitzgerald, which had offices on floors 101 to 105 in the North Tower. Cantor Fitzgerald lost more than 650 of its 960-person New York City workforce that morning.
Additionally, SUNY Plattsburgh said goodbye in 2017 to Brian Falb, a 1992 grad and New York State Trooper, who succumbed to brain cancer stemming from his assignment as a first responder assisting with the search and recovery efforts at Ground Zero.
At that time, a UP officer placed a wreath on the memorial stone at the pond while bagpipers performed “Amazing Grace.”
Rascoe took to the podium to recount his recollection of 9/11 nearly a quarter of a century ago.
“I remember exactly where I was on Sept. 11, 2001; as I look around today, I would
bet that nearly every one of you do as well,” he said. Rascoe was a detective with
the Plattsburgh City Police at the time and said how at first report it was thought
to have been a Cessna — a small-engine plane — that had flown into one of the towers.
Heroes of the Day
“I assumed it was pilot error or an equipment malfunction,” he said. “This was not a time when terrorism in the United States was a concern let alone a reality. Over the next hour, my whole perception of our nation’s safety changed.”
Huddling around the TV in the chief’s office, he said he saw “my fellow officers, firefighters and everyday citizens, knowing even less than I did, running toward danger and into those buildings even as they began to collapse.
“We all came to learn the stories of the heroes of that day — the selfless service
to strangers, compassion and caring,” he said. “Over the days that followed, we saw
courage, kindness and a nation that came together. The spirit of unity was thick.
Something so horrible that changed our lives forever also caused us to love one another
and reminded us what it means to be part of something bigger than ourselves.”
Rascoe continued: “Today, as we stand here together in this beautiful, peaceful place, we remember the lives lost. But we also remember the strength and unity that carried us forward. We can continue to honor those we lost by living with that same selflessness, kindness and commitment to one another every single day.”
Fire Chief on Site
City of Plattsburgh Fire Chief Scott Lawliss spoke of his deployment to the site as a first responder, relaying how even in the midst of that chaos, he was reminded of what a small world it is when NYFD responders, exhausted and covered in debris dust, sat on the sidewalk. When they asked where he was from and he said “Plattsburgh,” one of them said, “I know where that is; my brother lives in Peru.”
He recounted how ordinary people — strangers — feeling helpless did what they could by providing food to the rescue workers. Lawliss said he was on transport duty, bringing the injured to the hospitals in Brooklyn only to be met with even more gratitude in the form of food.
“You learned not to say no to an Italian grandmother who made you cookies — you took the cookies.” It’s impossible to not have been changed by the experience, he said.
Dr. David Fryson, pastor and interim vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion,
lived with his wife, Joy, in Alexandria, Va., at the time of the attacks, and heard
an explosion that morning he came to know as the plane hitting the Pentagon.
“That day was filled with trepidation and fear of the unknown after the terrorist attack,” Fryson said. He said that rather than turn against one another, the American people “by and large turned toward one another.”
‘Greatest Need’
Quoting 19th century American author Ellen G. White, Fryson said, “’The greatest need of the world is the need of men (and women) who will not be bought or sold, who are as true to principle, as the needle to the pole, men and women who in their innermost hearts are true and kind, men and women who will stand for the right, though the heavens fall.’
“During this time of national turmoil and challenge, it is important for us to remember that we have more in common than we do in disagreement” Fryson said. “During these challenging times we must once again turn toward one another rather than against each other. We must stand for the right while also honoring other people's right to their opinion.
“In commemoration of the 9/11 event that changed the trajectory of our country in
so many ways, we should all endeavor to walk together in peace and in love as we honor
the shared values of our democracy. May God grant us the peace to know that we have
nothing to fear if we stay consistent with the goals of freedom and justice,” he said.
Offering an invocation, he said, “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Bagpipers performed a musical interlude as those gathered paid their respects.
— Story, Photos by Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs
