Silent vigil in Syracuse remembers those lost on 9/11

Syracuse, NY -- With more than 50 Syracuse firefighters standing at attention and a bagpiper wailing "Amazing Grace," the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County Saturday paid tribute to those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks nine years ago today. In Firefighters Park at the corner of State and Fayette streets, the anniversary was marked with silence. The...

Syracuse, NY -- With more than 50 Syracuse firefighters standing at attention and a bagpiper wailing "Amazing Grace," the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County Saturday paid tribute to those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks nine years ago today.

In Firefighters Park at the corner of State and Fayette streets, the anniversary was marked with silence. The more than 125 in the park stood and reflected about the horror of that day as planes hit the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon in Virginia and a plane that was hijacked by terrorists crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

"I hope we never forget this," said Ike Rauth, of Port Jefferson on Long Island. He came out to the remembrance ceremony with his wife, Valerie, who is from Syracuse. The vigil stirred many emotions for the Rauths as they remembered that day nine years ago and the people they knew who worked in Manhattan or had friends and family die in the World Trade Center.

"I was watching it that day and felt like I was watching my family be executed," said Ike Rauth, who was wearing a 9/11 remembrance sweatshirt.

"We had to come here and honor those who died," Valerie Rauth said.

District Chief David Reeves of the Syracuse Fire Department said firefighting is a brotherhood and any firefighter,including all of those in Syracuse, would do the same thing as the New York City firefighters did on that day.

"Even if someone had told them those towers were going to collapse in five minutes, it wouldn't have changed what they did," Reeves said.

More 9/11 remembrances are occurring throughout the county today.