By Angela Marshall
What would the day bring? It was Sept. 11, 2002.
In appearance, it started out strikingly similar to the Sept. 11 forever captured in an American nightmare. The sky was a dusty blue, promising warm sun throughout the day. Commuters were waiting for the train, a delivery truck was unloading at Front Street Bakery and the village street sweeper was wheeling his cart through the parking lot below.
But there were clues in the mix, revealing how life had changed in the last year.
Standing near the green safety line at the edge of a platform, a middle-aged man dressed in a suit and tie, looked toward the east. Instead of carefully combed hair, he wore a Squad 288 baseball cap. It had been chosen with care and delivered a message. I remember Joe.
Of the 343 firefighters killed on Sept. 11, 11 were from Squad 288. One of them was Joe Hunter who grew up attending Rockville Centre schools and chasing fire trucks in his South Hempstead neighborhood.
Down the platform, two women also waited. Printed on the front of their t-shirts were the words Peer Team. On this day of emotion, they were headed in to help.
Many of the remaining commuters wore American Flag pins on their uniforms, suits and blouses.
The 6:17 arrived, claimed its passengers and began its journey to the city.
At that time, parishioners were already arriving for services at St. Agnes Cathedral and the United Church of Rockville Centre. Neither of these houses of worship would be empty the rest of the day.
For many villagers, gathering in prayer was the best way to deal with the tender emotions and memories of loved ones lost.
United Church parishioners and their new pastor, Rev. Robert W. Gunn, decided to hold a series of services, each led by a different religious leader.
Taking a page from ceremonies at Ground Zero, United Church volunteers read the names and, where available, the occupations of all those killed on Sept. 11. They began by reading the names of all current or former village residents who perished the attacks. So long as we live, so too shall they live.
Services were also held at Temple B'Nai Sholom, Vineyard Christian Fellowship and the Church of the Ascension.
But the day was not given over completely to mourning. For the children in many Rockville Centre schools, Sept. 11 was a day of patriotism.
Decked out in red, white and blue, children at Wilson and Covert schools, packed their auditoriums for the show Proud to be an American.
Led by three energetic performers, the children learned about many of America's beloved presidents and the freedoms for which they fought.
At Hewitt, the fifth graders conceived, wrote and performed their own show for their classmates and parents.
After a moment of silence, the fifth graders read an original poem entitled Our American Rainbow.
The spirit of America is strong
I know because I am an American
My country is compassionate, united and free
We celebrate differences
We encourage creative thinking
We are an American rainbow
When the program was completed one student asked everyone to do one thing on Sept. 11 to show that they are proud to be an American.
Standing in the crowd was New York City Firefighter Jerry Morrissey who lost many friends in the attacks, including Deputy Chief Edward Geraghty of Rockville Centre. He said no day has been easy since the attacks, but the intense media coverage of the anniversary made that day harder than most. Morrissey opted for a day in the village close to family and friends rather than attending ceremonies in the city.
A monument dedicated to the more than 45 victims with a connection to Rockville Centre will be unveiled on the Village Green in late October or early November.
