By:Andrew Hackmack
In total, 64 firefighters from the Town of Hempstead were presented with a service medal and a certificate of recognition for their work. Local recipients included Guy Bove and Jim Bove from the Malverne Fire Department, Craig Cittadino and Charles D'Agostino of Lynbrook and Joseph Loliscio, Henry Metzger, Edward Reicherter and Robert Renner of East Rockaway.
The ceremony, which was held at the Old Town Hall Courtroom on Front Street in Hempstead, began with an invocation from Father Kevin Smith, the Nassau County Fire Chaplain. After the pledge of allegiance, the Star Spangled Banner was sung by Jessica Hudes, daughter of councilman Gary Hudes. Saluting, many of the firefighters in the room joined in singing the patriotic verse. After the awards were presented and the firefighters received a standing ovation, Rabbi Ronald Androphy of the East Meadow Jewish Center presided over the benediction and praised the men and women for their efforts.
A video presentation during the ceremony captured the emotions of those in the room. To the tune of "The House I Live in" by Neil Diamond and Frank Sinatra, scenes from Ground Zero were shown on the screen. This was followed by a thought-provoking assortment of still images of American landscapes adorned with superimposed phrases such as "We have higher incomes but less morals," and "We spend more money but enjoy less," that reminded those in attendance of what really matters in life, much like September 11 did.
"If you read all the captions, it really meant a lot," said James Martino, commissioner of the East Meadow Fire Department who created the video. "It shows the reality of what happened."
Martino worked at Ground Zero for five days after the attacks. He said he and his co-workers took between 400-500 pictures. He said the song was chosen in honor of the twin towers.
Joseph Vicario, of the North Merrick Fire Department, joined the rescue efforts at Ground Zero the day of the attacks and stayed through Sept. 14. Vicario worked on the pile as a member of the bucket brigade alongside his brother, Lawrence.
"My brother and I are 11 months apart," said Joseph Vicario. "We're more like best friends than brothers. It's an honor to work together.
"It's great to be honored by the town for fire fighting in general," he added.
Guardino emphasized the Town of Hempstead's support for the men and women who gave their time to the recovery efforts.
"We want them to know that we'll never forget them and their efforts," he said. "We'll be there to support them and as they continue their volunteer efforts, we're going to continue to support them."
Guardino continued, "It's important for us as a community to pull together at this time and recognize these people who have sacrificed so much."
