White Plains Pays Tribute, Remembers on 9/11

Waving American Flags, about 100 people gathered in the center of White Plains Tuesday afternoon to remember those lost in the 9/11 attacks while honoring those who continue to make sacrifices for our freedom.

Local firefighters and police officers read poems and short stories from a podium. Residents made the trip to show their support.

"We know what they did and people are here to let them know that we appreciate them," said Laurie Wheeler, a White Plains resident who said she came out to honor two friends who perished in the World Trade Center 11 years ago today.

Diana Deida came with a group from ARC of Westchester, holding signs reading "We Never Forget".

"It's really something that's close to our heart," she said. "It was very important to pay them tribute."

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White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, attending his Tuesday, pointed toward the City's busy downtown as a sign of the resiliency Americans have shown over the last decade.

"All of the activity you see around us is part of our answer to the horrible acts committed by some terrible people," Roach said. "This country has moved on, we didn't forget, but we kept moving. That's what makes this country so great."

The mayor also urged residents to continue the acts of kindness and service that immediately followed the 9/11 attacks.

"I think that as we remember that, and we remember that tragedy, I think it's imperative that we all also remember the positive outcomes that came from it," he said. "The first responders entered a building where they knew they were in great peril voluntarily to help others."

Six White Plains residents died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Each person's name was read during the ceremony followed by a moment of silence.

Representatives from the White Plains Fire Department and White Plains Police Department were also in attendance throughout the ceremony.