Marine Park residents paid tribute to the victim’s of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a candlelight vigil at the Carmine Carro Community Center Wednesday, where locals gathered in solidarity to recall the tragedy that continues to touch their lives.
“Many of my family members — including my husband — are first responders, so the losses have been close to home,” said Michele Smyth.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes took up the torch from his predecessor Marty Golden to organize this year’s annual memorial event, which featured patriotic music, prayer, and a moment of silence, and provided bereaved Brooklynites an opportunity share their heartache on the anniversary of Al-Qaeda’s assault, which claimed 3,000 Americans in the initial attack, along with many more victims in the years to follow, as 9/11 related illnesses continue to reap a deadly toll.
“The Marine Park vigil was a wonderful way to share in our collective grief and remembrance of 9/11. We lit candles to mourn those we lost on that terrible day. We carry on the tradition of these vigils so that we do not just ‘never forget’ but also actively remember,” Gounardes said.
And as the years since 2001 continue to drag on, many of list of those who gather at the Marine Park vigil born after the attack continues to grow, and the memorial is for them a chance to learn about that tragic day and game some understanding of what it meant to live through it.
“It was an opportunity for them to learn and remember 9/11 since they were too young to remember,” Smyth said.
