POUGHKEEPSIE — Dutchess County marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks Friday with its annual Patriot Day Memorial Ceremony on the steps of the Dutchess County Family Court building. Family Court Judge Tracy MacKenzie hosted the event, which featured a keynote address from retired FDNY Battalion Commander Keith Cartica, a Dutchess County resident who responded to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Judges, county officials, court officers, first responders and members of the public attended the ceremony. Judge MacKenzie urged attendees to never forget those who lost their lives on Sept. 11. County Executive Sue Serino noted that about 103 million people—roughly a third of the U.S. population—have been born since the attacks. Serino emphasized the importance of educating younger generations about the tragedy.
“For the New York City firefighter, September is different,” Cartica said. “That crisp air carries weight. It brings an anniversary we wish we never had to put on a calendar. And yet, we must. We always do. We promised them: Never forget.”
Cartica said the death toll continues to rise due to 9/11-related illnesses, leaving the tragedy’s wounds open. “This chapter of our history is still being written. There is no closure. For many of us who worked the pile, who breathed the dust, who carried the weight of those days, weeks and months, closure may never come—not in our lifetime, maybe not in the lifetime of our children and grandchildren. Every September, we remember the 343 firefighters killed on Sept. 11, but we also remember the more than 600 we have lost since,” he said.
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