STATEN ISLAND, New York (WABC) — Families, elected officials and service members gathered at the Postcards Memorial in St. George on Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and remember nearly 300 Staten Islanders who were killed.<\/p>\n
The waterfront memorial, featuring two giant postcards, served as a place for families to honor loved ones, lay roses and reflect on those they have not seen in 25 years.<\/p>\n
Among those remembering family members was Karen Ciaccio, whose brother died on Sept. 11.<\/p>\n
“My brother. Lieutenant Jeffrey Walz. FDNY Ladder 9. He was just a great guy,” Ciaccio said.<\/p>\n
Staten Island, a borough with deep ties to firefighting and law enforcement, honored those who responded to the attacks.<\/p>\n
“Many crossed into the heart of the storm and did not return,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella.<\/p>\n
During the ceremony, family members paid tribute to loved ones as the names of the victims were read.<\/p>\n
As the names of the nearly 300 Staten Islanders killed on Sept. 11 were read, U.S. Army Gen. Caroline Pogge and members of her command attended the ceremony.<\/p>\n
“It just is a constant reminder of what we’re doing and why we are working in harm’s way across the globe,” Pogge said.<\/p>\n
The Postcards Memorial is positioned so that visitors looking across the harbor face the site where the Twin Towers once stood in the Manhattan skyline.<\/p>\n
Commemorations continued across New York City on Friday. The family of Stephen Siller retraced the fallen FDNY firefighter’s steps through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, 25 years after he ran with 60 pounds of gear toward danger.<\/p>\n
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also attended events to pay his respects.<\/p>\n
“They make this city proud in the way that they live up to those legacies,” Mamdani said.<\/p>\n
The ceremonies reflected the enduring impact of Sept. 11 on Staten Island and across the city, as families and communities continued to honor those who were lost and those who served.<\/p>\n
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