Roslyn Remembers 9/11

Roslyn residents got together at Veterans Grove in Roslyn Park last night to remember the eleventh anniversary of 9/11.

Former Abington Commissioner John Carlin gave opening remarks, standing in front of a flag pole just before 7 p.m. The Veterans Grove Committee, the nonprofit responsible for creating the small section of the park, organized the event.

During the ceremony, U.S. Air Force veteran and Roslyn resident Dan Dougherty read from his paper: 

“Eleven years ago today, America was viciously attacked by those truly evil and cruel who wished to destroy all that is good in our country. We all remember that terrible morning with the most horrific series of catastrophic events.” 

Carol Scaricaciottoli, a member of the Veterans Grove Committee, then read the timeline of events that happened on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001.

Dougherty, who served with the 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron, said the Veterans Grove Committee asked him and other local veterans to become involved with Veterans Grove. He is also a member of the Rhawnhurst-Castor American Legion Post 754. 

The veteran said he remembers the Tuesday morning of Sept. 11 vividly.

“A lot of people say, ‘What do you remember?’  or, ‘Where were you?’ Dougherty said. “A group of us was playing golf around here and we had just come off the ninth green and we were headed to the snack shop. The young lady there had told us that the first tower had been struck. Actually, within a couple minutes of getting off the ninth green, my friend looked at me and said, ‘Dan, there goes a jet from ... what is LL?’ and I said, ‘That’s a reserve jet out of the component naval station in Lakehurst,’ and he said ‘What’s that doing here?’”

They later found out that Tower 2 had been struck. He said it changed the world.

“As a retired member of the Air Force, it has always been my staunch opinion that we have to protect ourselves, because if we don’t who will? Nobody’s going to help us. We’re it,” he said.