Two communities held solemn ceremonies to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the 2001 terrorist attacks, honoring the first responders who answered the call. Ceremonies were also held in Bedford Park, Hodgkins, and Countryside.
Forest View
Forest View held a remembrance ceremony attended by village officials, fire and police department members, and residents. Fire Chief Mark Stewart coordinated a flag lowering to coincide with the moment the first plane struck the World Trade Center.
Mayor David Liska recalled his experience that day. “I saw it at work on television,” Liska said. “I remember leaving work, maybe overreacting, pulled my kids out of school. Got the family together, and then just watched on television as everything unfolded. Our great friends in Canada, their support that day, I’ll never forget that. It was a horrible time.”
Summit
The Summit Fire Department held a larger ceremony at its firehouse on 59th Street, drawing over 100 residents and students from Heritage Middle School. Village officials from Summit, Lyons, McCook, and Willow Springs attended. The McCook Fire Department draped a large American flag on 59th Street before the ceremony began.
The program opened with a flag lowering and the Call to Arms. School District 104’s band played the Star-Spangled Banner, followed by bagpipe renditions of “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America.” Father Andrew, the former chaplain for the Summit Fire Department, offered an invocation.
Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez addressed the crowd, reflecting on the day’s impact. “It was a defining moment. It is etched into our minds,” Rodriguez said. “We remember precisely where we were, who we were with, and the overwhelming flood of emotions that washed over us—the fear, the uncertainty, the anxiety, the profound sadness, the anger, and the sheer shock.”
Rodriguez emphasized the unity that emerged from tragedy. “Out of the darkness, the true strength of America emerged—a spirit of unity. Neighbors helping neighbors and ordinary people stepping up in extraordinary ways,” he said. “They proved that heroes don’t wear capes. They come from every walk of life.”
He honored the 2,977 lives lost, survivors still dealing with illness, and families carrying the weight of absence. “We must continue to tell their stories. By sharing their lives, their sacrifice, their courage, we ensure that they are never forgotten and their memories live on,” Rodriguez said.
Lyons Mayor Chris Getty spoke of the responsibility to remember for a generation that knows Sept. 11 only through photographs and stories. “That places a significant responsibility upon us,” Getty said. “We must tell those stories. We must remember those names. We must honor those sacrifices.”
Getty called for carrying forward the unity that followed the attacks. “In the days that followed, Americans did not ask one another what party they belonged to or where they came from or what neighborhood they lived in. They asked a simpler question: How can I help?” he said. “In that question, something powerful happened. We were reminded that beneath all of our differences, there is still something that binds us together.”
Summit Police Chief Mel Ortiz honored the 343 firefighters and 60 law enforcement officers who died, along with hundreds more who later succumbed to illness. “Each one had a name. Each one had a family. Each one had friends and brothers and sisters in public safety,” Ortiz said. “Each one had a life, a story, and people waiting for them to come home.”
Ortiz stressed that “never forget” must mean more than annual remembrance. “Never forget means remembering their names. Never forget means remembering their families. Never forget means remembering the courage of the police officers and firefighters that ran into danger,” he said.
Fire Chief Anthony Anderson spoke of the sacrifice demanded of firefighters. “Why would somebody run in when people are running out?” Anderson said. “That’s the type of person you need in the fire service. It takes a special breed to be one of us.”
Anderson honored the 343 FDNY firefighters who died that day. “Every one of them began their shift expecting to go home that day. They had families waiting for them, plans for the following day, and people who loved them. Yet, when their city called for help, they responded without hesitation,” Anderson said.
He called on firefighters to remember what the uniform represents. “The badge over our hearts represents the trust our community placed in us,” Anderson said. “We train because someone’s life depends on us. We maintain our equipment because there are moments when failure is not an option.”
Anderson closed with a plea for unity. “Let us carry the same spirit of unity in our homes, workplace, and community,” he said.
After the speeches, Anderson and Ortiz placed a wreath at the American flag. A moment of silence followed, marked by a memorial bell ringing and a closing prayer by Father Andrew. The ceremony concluded with bagpipe renditions of “Amazing Grace.”
McCook Mayor Terry Carr and Willow Springs Mayor Melissa Neddermeyer attended but did not speak.
