OBSERVER Photo by Jo Ward Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas speaks during the Dunkirk Fire Department remembrance service on Sunday.

“We will never forget,” is the statement many throughout the United States, nay the world speak every year on Patriot’s Day or 9/11 as it’s more widely known.

On Sunday, the 21st anniversary of that day was remembered locally at the city of Dunkirk Fire Hall on Eagle Street.

The event hosted by Capt. Gary Katta called up many memories for those who spoke that day.

Father Dan Walsh spoke of the events surrounding the 9/11 attacks and reminisced about the Sunday after.

“I know all of the churches were full that day,” Walsh said. “Every priest, every rabbi, every minister I talk to, those five days later our churches were full. A week later they were back to normal.”

Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas spoke of his memories as a then New York state trooper.

“I remember being a New York state trooper back then, being assigned out to Ground Zero in New York City,” Rosas began. “One of my assignments was to protect the morgue. I was working with people I had never met before. We had first responders there from across the world. There was a mob of people coming in and all they wanted to do was identify body parts. I remember on one occasion we had a hand that came in that had a wedding band on it. There was a mob of family members that came up and were trying to get through. My job, with people I never met before, was to hold them back. Mentally I could tell you it was a very tough position to be in and changed me forever.”

Rosas went on to say that the lesson that he learned that day was that “life is too short, we don’t know when our last days are on this Earth.”

He added the best thing people can do is be together and working together for the betterment of the community.

Fire Chief Mike Edwards spoke of the promise that the fire department made following that tragic loss that day.

“Each year we’ve come together and we made a promise to the fire service after 9/11 that we would never forget,” Edwards stated. “Never forget our brothers and sisters; never forget all of those who were lost that day. A lot of working people, first responders went to bed the night before never thinking of the unimaginable.”

Katta spoke of the surrealistic feeling and a calm peace he felt when he visited the footprints of the World Trade Center in New York City this year. After which he shared a story from that day that he felt especially poignant. It was the story of Captain Patrick Brown from Truck 3.

“They were in the building like so many other first responders and they were on the 33rd floor,” Katta began. “Climbed with all their equipment, passed people that were coming down. He made a radio transmission to tell the commander their location and that they had many, many injured people. He also said ‘I think the fire is on the the 75th floor, and we’re going to make our way up there.’ Moments later the commander called and said ‘Truck 3 captain get out of that building now.’ And Paddy Brown responded ‘I refuse your order, we have too many people hurt.’ That was the last radio transmission from Captain Paddy Brown.”

He went on to say that that was just one example of the many “acts of heroism of that day.”

In addition to all the memories shared a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem sang by Marjorie and Merencia Bohn as well as a ringing of the bell for the 343 firefighters that were lost that day.

Services were also held in Mayville to remember the attacks of 21 years ago by the American Legion and Chautauqua County Veterans Council.