Westerville community members gathered at First Responders Park on Sept. 11 to commemorate the lives lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks 25 years ago.
People crowded a small lawn, facing the tent and podium where Westerville police and fire officials were assembled. Next to the tent was a piece of steel that spanned the 98th to 101st floors of the World Trade Center's North Tower, right above the impact site of American Airlines Flight 11 at 8:46 a.m. ET on Sept. 11, 2001. Attendees donned red, white and blue clothing to show their patriotism on the solemn anniversary.
The ceremony began with the ringing of the Ceremonial Firefighter's Bell, which honors the firefighters and first responders who answered the call of duty, which for many was
the final call, on Sept. 11, 2001.
"That bell represents the readiness to drop everything and serve others when danger strikes," Westerville Fire Chief Joshua Lester said. "Something hundreds did 25 years ago today at the World Trade Center in New York City."
Vice mayor and veteran Westerville firefighter honor first responders
The weeks, months and years that followed the 9/11 attacks were full of community support, Westerville City Council Vice Mayor Kelly Stocker said.
"Communities around the globe held vigils, donated blood and offered immediate support, bridging political and cultural divides," Stocker said.
Stocker referenced the "wise advice" of the late Fred Rogers, a Pittsburgh public television personality widely known for his show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."
"Look for the helpers," Stocker said. "You will always find people who are helping. Remembering these words on this day reminds me that communities are stronger together. Let us carry the spirit of unity forward, honoring the sacrifices of the past while building a future rooted in hope, compassion and community strength."
The event's keynote speaker, Tom Ullom, a retired Westerville firefighter and founder of the Westerville Firefighters Memorial Fund, opened his remarks by reminding that "the worst of times have always brought out the best in mankind." Ullom provided examples of the "heroes" of the FDNY, NYPD, the Port Authority and the leaders of ferries and boats that evacuated people across the Hudson River.
"You may know of other 9/11 heroes," Ullom said. "They should be an inspiration and give hope to all of us."
The piece of steel from the World Trade Center memorialized in the park is known as C-40, Ullom said, which was taken from Ground Zero. Ullom said he made it his mission after the attacks to include a piece of the World Trade Center at the park.
"Little did I know, I would need to call weekly for the next seven years to the New York, New Jersey Port Authority and NIST, or National Institute of Standards and Technology, in order to make that happen," Ullom said.
On April 27, 2009, a group of Westerville officials traveled to Gaithersburg, Maryland, to select a piece of steel from the remnants of the World Trade Center to bring back to Ohio. However, after the selection of C-40 was made for Westerville, Ullom was told the World Trade Center Museum Committee wanted the same piece.
Ullom stayed consistent in his request, and C-40 was officially given to Westerville. On June 19, 2009, the World Trade Center steel was transferred to the Westerville Firefighters Memorial by signature of a federal judge. It was finally installed at the park on Aug. 31, 2010.
"Thought was put into its placement," Ullom said. "The steel was placed in the same direction it would have been standing in New York City."
After Ullom's remarks, the Westerville Community Band's Wind Ensemble and vocalist Dawn Eller performed a rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
Firefighter Michael Melfi describes emotional reaction to terrorist attacks
Westerville firefighter Michael Melfi described 9/11 to the audience as "[his] generation's Pearl Harbor."
"We all remember where we were, who we were with, and watching it all unfold on TV like it was yesterday," Melfi said.
Melfi was early in his career when the attacks occurred. In fact, he was at the New Albany Fire Department taking a physical agility test for a full-time job. At the time, he was a young firefighter, Marine, father and college student, he said.
The physical test was paused so everyone could watch the news. After seeing the second plane hit the towers, Melfi said he experienced a mental episode.
"And that meltdown turned into what some people might call a fit of rage," Melfi said. "And after a couple of moments, I realized that most of the people in that room weren't staring at the TV anymore. They were kind of watching me have this little meltdown."
Melfi didn't get the job, but it didn't matter. Later on, his reserve unit out of Dayton was activated and called to active duty in Iraq, where he spent two years.
"Fast-forwarding through those two years on the ground over there, when we got home, we were naive enough to believe that we were going to go back to who we once were and do the things that we used to do and be the people that we used to be," Melfi said. "But that didn't happen. We were changed indefinitely."
The attack meant revenge to Melfi 25 years ago, he said. Now, it serves as a reminder.
"It's a trumpet sounding an alarm that it only takes one second for somebody's life to change forever," Melfi said. "And as police and fire, we see these seconds affect people's lives all the time. We understand that these seconds don't discriminate. We also understand that it doesn't have to be an act of war."
However, Melfi said the lesson of 9/11 isn't to live in fear. It's to be "more diligent about the seconds that we have when nothing is going wrong."
After the event concluded, Ullom told The Dispatch that he had a special message for our readers.
"Make sure that you talk about this day with your kids or young people that were not born," Ullom said.
Dispatch Reporter Nora Igelnik can be reached at nigelnik@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Westerville community gathers to honor lives lost in 9/11 attacks
