Riverfront Green Memorial

Peekskill Rotarians gathered Sept. 9 for a third anniversary memorial service to honor the four Peekskill and Cortlandt residents who died Sept. 11, 2001. In 2002, club members dedicated a monument and copper beach tree on the Riverfront Green in their memory.

Former Peekskill Rotary President Lauds the American Spirit During Riverfront Green Ceremony Honoring Local Victims of WTC Disaster

Three years ago this country faced terror and crisis it had never before experienced. Like all Americans, the members of the Rotary Club of Peekskill sought a way to express their sorrow and shock, and to provide assistance to those who were in deep pain.

During the weeks following Sept. 11, the Rotary Club of Peekskill went to the aid of local families devastated by the attacks and to those who worked with such incredible devotion at Ground Zero.

While club members felt they made important contributions to the community, they also believed more should be done. As a way of remembering, the club planted a copper beech tree on Arbor Day at the Peekskill Riverfront Green in memory of the four Peekskill and Cortlandt residents who died Sept. 11.

On July 4, 2002, the tree and a memorial stone were dedicated in honor of these heroes.

Presiding over the dedication was Peekskill Rotary Club President Dr. Chares Gruetzner, whose words many found inspiring.

On Sept. 9, 2004, current Peekskill Rotary President Keith Bobolia led a third anniversary memorial service at the monument attended by some 40 Rotarians and guests. To highlight the event, Bobolia asked Dr. Gruetzner to reprise his dedication comments.

Dr. Gruetzner’s words were these:

Three years ago fanatics attacked this country. The heart of that attack was here in New York. The horror and shock of that day is seared in our memory and will be for the rest of our lives.

These terrorists may have hit the buildings but they missed America. America is not a financial center; it is not a military installation. America is not even about the horrible loss of life that occurred that day.

Close-up of the dedicated monument on the Riverfront Green.

America is an idea. It is an idea and a spirit that tends to overtake the people of this Nation and the people who have come to this country for new and better life. America is a collection of very different peoples living in 50 different states that at times have agreed to disagree. In fact we take great pride in that ability to disagree. Yet when faced with tyranny, these states come together and become one nation. We will stand strong and proud and fight for our nation and our freedom.

This is where the spirit of America lies. We don’t live in America. It lives in us, and attacking our nation will not diminish that spirit. Those that committed this heinous crime will never understand that. We have been crossed in a cowardly manner and that is what evokes the American spirit. Go ahead and whine your terrorist whine and chant your terrorist litany of “If you can’t see my point, feel my pain.” That concept is alien to Americans. But remember, you are not the first bully on our shores; you are just the most recent. When we are angered we don’t play by the rules and you will find what we can do with the American spirit and American resolve.

We are here once again today to honor four Americans that gave all for that spirit:

Firefighter Sam Oitice, and local residents James Oakley, Joseph Zuccala and William Abrahamson.

Even today, nearly three years later, the members of Rotary Club of Peekskill wish to offer the families and friends of these men our deepest and sincerest condolences. I cannot think of a greater pain than losing someone you love in such a sudden, tragic and senseless manner.

When we heard that four members of our community lost their lives in the World Trade Center we, as a club, wanted to find a way to honor them in a simple yet dignified manner. It was then that we decided to plant this tree and place a monument here in their memory. It is our hope this tree becomes a symbol of life and as it grows it becomes a place of comfort and shade to those that sit here.

We chose Riverfront Green for several reasons. This monument is not just a Rotary Club memorial to these men. These men belonged to this community – just as this memorial does. By having it here in this park it can be shared by all who come here.

It is a timeless memorial – as long as there is a Riverfront Green, there will be memorial to the great sacrifice these men made for their country. Riverfront Green is a place of serenity and excitement, laughter and beauty, joy and sometimes sorrow. All things that symbolize what America is about.

It is with great pride and sorrow that we the members of Rotary Club of Peekskill stand by this memorial today to pray and honor these men and their families.