Syracuse, N.Y. – At 8:46 a.m. today, silence fell over Fayette Firefighters Memorial Park in Syracuse to mark the time when the first plane struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
The silence was held until 9:03 a.m. marking the moment the second plane hit the South Tower.
The 17 minutes of silence were only broken by sounds of a siren echoing in the city.
Memorials, moments of silence, candle lightings, flag ceremonies and marches were held throughout Central New York Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as a plane that crashed in western Pennsylvania. Events were planned in more than 25 communities across the region.
Due to the Covid pandemic, some services were closed to the public while others were livestreamed online. The service in Syracuse’s memorial park was only open to invited guests.
The small gathering at the park began with the lighting of two candles symbolizing the towers in New York City. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh lit the candles with the assistance of Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner and Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds.
Buckner noted in his speech, for the first time since the 2001 attack, no U.S. troops were on the ground in Afghanistan.
During the 17-minute moment of silence, a woman in the crowd fainted. Firefighters attending the service silently ran to her aide and treated her until an ambulance arrived.
Syracuse University held a service in Hendricks Chapel to honor the 30 SU alumni who died in the attacks. The service included words from Dean of Hendricks Chapel Brian Konkol and music from the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble.
Le Moyne College honored the anniversary by placing over 200 flags in front of Grewen Hall. The college will also hold a service at 7 p.m. Sunday to honor the members of the Le Moyne community who lost their lives that day.
Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
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