Remembering September 11th

Dear Members and Friends,

Today, we commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the attacks on September 11th.

Twenty years ago, we endured the most significant attack on our homeland since Pearl Harbor almost sixty years prior. Let us remember and honor all who were lost, and hold especially in our hearts the first responders who paid the ultimate price in service to our City and our fellow New Yorkers. We honor their sacrifice each day as we step forward freely to put ourselves in harms way for the safety, health and well being of others. Let us also call to mind those lost since September 11th and those who continue to fall ill as a result of their service on that day and the days, weeks and months that followed the attack. Detective Michael Dye and Auxiliary Police Officer Michael Dorian both succumbed to 9/11-related cancer. We all know Michael Dye’s tremendous service to the NYPD and the City over the years. Michael Dorian, a civilian at the time of the attacks working as a veterinary technician, responded with medical supplies and rendered aide to both civilians and first responders in lower Manhattan. This work inspired him to become a member of the NYPD. September 11th changed our nation and the world. This day serves as a sobering reminder that at any given moment, our lives can be changed forever. As always, may we never forget the sacrifices of all who serve, may we continue to honor those we lost and may we always remember the compassion and humanity that were born from this day twenty years ago. May God bless you and hold you safe. Fraternally, Brian E. Downey President