Firefighters cycle across the state to honor fallen 9/11 heroes
The Milford Fire Department served as a rest stop for dozens of firefighters cycling across Connecticut in the 13th annual FDNY 343 Ride. The tour began out of Sherwood Island State Park and ended at Mohegan Sun - 95 miles in all.
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A total of 343 firefighters died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and 341 more firefighters have died since from their illnesses acquired while working at Ground Zero – on Saturday, FDNY firefighters cycled across Connecticut in remembrance of their sacrifice.
The Milford Fire Department served as a rest stop for dozens of firefighters cycling across Connecticut in the 13th annual FDNY 343 Ride. The tour began out of Sherwood Island State Park and ended at Mohegan Sun - 95 miles in all.
“When Ride 343 reached out, there were no questions asked,” Milford Fire Battalion Chief Adam Hansen said. “The only question was, ‘What else can we do?’”
“A quick break, we fill up our water bottles and keep going,” Greg Gatto, of Long Island, said.
“It’s a long ride,” Massapequa’s Vince Miller said. “During, you don’t even think about it. You just keep riding, and you think about everybody else and the pain they felt running up the stairs and the towers and everything else that went along with it.”
The next stop was in East Haven, where Building Homes for Heroes unveiled a new, mortgage-free home for retired Army Specialist Evan Marcy.
“He joined the service right after the attacks on 9/11,” said Larry Mack, a retired Engine 50, Ladder 19 fireman. “The kid lost his leg [in Afghanistan], so we've teamed up with Building Homes for Heroes and it's their 343rd house, so it's fitting that one of our own blood gets this house on this anniversary.”
“It’s actually brought our ride full circle,” Gatto said.
Those lost on September 11 are front-of-mind in downtown Milford every day. Their 9/11 Memorial features the names of three Milford residents who died. The three sides are dedicated to those killed in Washington D.C., Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and New York City – even featuring steel from the World Trade Center.
“It's really a site where we can go and pay reverence to those who were lost in the local community, and also those that perished throughout the country,” Hansen said. “We have 30 members that have less than two years on the job, and some of them weren't even born when 9/11 happened. It gives us an opportunity to educate and explain to these younger kids what transpired, and the significance of 9/11, and those that give the ultimate sacrifice.”
Twenty-two years later, their fellow firemen are keeping their memories alive.
“Just always remember what we lost, and what we fight for still,” Gatto said.
“Never forget, never forget,” Miller said. “They put their lives on the line for us.”
“The words ‘Never Forget’, it isn't just a slogan,” Hansen said. “It’s something that I believe all firefighters here and across the country live by each and every day.”
Building Homes for Heroes is on its way toward meeting its goal of 400 homes for wounded veterans next year.
The FDNY 343 Ride has raised more than $2 million since its inception in 2011.
