The University of Connecticut marked the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Friday with a University-wide remembrance ceremony in the Student Union Theatre, which was coordinated by University Safety.
“In the aftermath of that day, we learned many things. We learned that the United States is a resilient nation, and we learned that our dream of a free society can withstand the most unthinkable atrocity” said UConn President Radenka Maric at the ceremony. “And we learned that, in order to maintain our resilience and our values, we need to both understand and improve the world around us in a deep and profound way.
“That is the purpose of a university. And to the extent that our work has helped to make our society stronger and more free, and our world safer and less cruel, we have honored the memory of those who lost their lives on that terrible day 25 years ago,” she continued.
The ceremony began with the presentation of colors by the UConn Fire and Police departments and UConn ROTC honor guards with music from the Connecticut Department of Correction Honor Guard Pipes and Drums. The national anthem was performed by Staff Sgt. Luke Powers of the Connecticut Army National Guard.
Retired UConn Health Fire Chief William Perkins was among those from the Farmington campus called to Manhattan that day and provided the keynote address. Perkins was a captain and paramedic belonging to a special tactical rescue team stationed at UConn Health in 2001.
“We left midmorning and it was a very nice sunny day as we approached New York City,” said Perkins. “We could see the massive dust cloud that had engulfed lower Manhattan. Upon entering Lower Manhattan, we went from a bright sunny afternoon to almost an eerie nighttime environment. Within minutes, we were all covered with white powder, which was almost 6 inches thick on the roads, vehicles, and buildings.”
Perkins and his fellow UConn colleagues spent the first night in New York sleeping for a few hours in an abandoned building and were back to work the next morning on various assignments before returning to Connecticut that night.
“The thing that I remember the most leaving the city was the hundreds of New Yorkers lined up along side of the road cheering us as we left, holding signs of thanks for our help,” said Perkins. “The reception we received from the UConn Health community when we returned was unbelievable. Having realized that this was a traumatic event many services were made available to us if needed.”
The event concluded with a wreath laying by Associate Vice President and Police Chief Gene Labonte, Fire Chief Chris Renshaw, and Director of the Office of Veterans and Military Programs Alyssa Kelleher. That was followed by the playing of taps by William Shea, director of the Office of Emergency Management at UConn, and the ringing of a fire bell to remember those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
UConn graduates who lost their lives in the attacks were: Richard “Rick” Blood Jr. ’97, Evan Gillette ’83, Robert Higley ’94, Joseph A. Lenihan ’82, ’84 MBAm, Scott J. O’Brien ’83, Margaret Q. Orloske ’73, Cheryl Monyak ’79, ’81 MBA, and Sean Schielke ’96.
