Emergency workers from all over Lincoln County pulled together last week to help decorate a Maine wreath that was brought to New York City’s Fire Ladder Company 3 for their 10th anniversary ceremony of 9/11.
Ladder Company 3 lost 11 men that day when they responded to the North Tower. The truck was severely damaged in the collapse of the World Trade Center Twin Towers.
The fire truck, draped in the American and FDNY flags, was lowered into the lower exhibition space of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in July. The sling used to lower the 60,000-lb., fire truck was designed by Chip Holmes of Newcastle.
The memorial wreath was made and donated by Julie and Bill Knight from Julie’s Greenhouse in Round Pond, and it was decorated by the crew of Flowers at Louis Doe Home Center Inc. It was decorated with patches from many of the local fire departments, first responders, ambulances and police departments.
The wreath was the brainstorm of Judy Doe. Her son, Mark, came up with the idea of putting patches from Lincoln County fire departments and other emergency agencies and responders on it.
All but two towns are represented, Monhegan, and Whitefield, who were unable to locate a patch in time for the project.
“What better representation of Maine than a Maine wreath?” Judy Doe said.
Flowers at Louis Doe Home Center has provided flowers and other items to Kieve’s 9/11 family weekends. “You can’t do enough for them. I just wanted them to know that we were thinking about them. I’ll never forget that day. It was such a horrible day. I had the TV on and watched it. It is something I will never forget. Just the thought of all those people. It’s unbelievable,” Judy added.
The Doe’s only had a day and a half to gather patches for the wreath. “It was a spontaneous thing. I can’t believe the response we got with the patches. The response was overwhelming. You don’t know how much it means to people until you give them an opportunity,” Judy commented.
“David Nash, of Edgecomb, overheard me at the counter. He said ‘I’m a retired police officer from Massachusetts. I have a badge and I would like it to go on the wreath,'” Doe said. The badge was put in the center of a red, white and blue bow and a note was attached to explain its origin.
Russ Williams, director of development and communications at Kieve, and the 9/11 Camp Director, took the wreath to New York for the 9/11 ceremony.
“It was an amazing day to be in New York and a part of the 10th Anniversary services and ceremonies; a day of peaks and valleys, highs and lows, laughter and tears, hugs and more hugs. Most of the day for us was spent remembering and honoring the 12 fallen heroes of Ladder 3 and Battalion 6,” Kieve 9/11 Camp Director Russ Williams said.
About 350 people attended a prayer service at the Ladder 3 firehouse, then attended a luncheon at a ballroom in the ConEd Building nearby. Actor John Voight, and Wayne Gretzky attended the firehouse ceremony.
“A new memorial was blessed and unveiled at the firehouse. It was built from steel from the north tower and had 12 small crosses removed from it and given to each of the families. One of the messages of the day was to be proud of how well the families have done raising all the children of the fallen firefighters in the wake of this enormous tragedy.
“Kids who were barely entering their teens on Sept. 11, 2001 are now in or graduating from college, many of them with honors and [are] leaders in their class.
“Even the very young kids from Ladder 3 are excelling scholastically and athletically. What an incredible group of families we have gotten to know and grow with. We all reflected on the kids who have attended family camp and how they have grown individually and collectively over the years and what a key role in their lives Kieve has been.
“Ray Trinkle Jr., now 23, said to me last night, ‘you have no idea the impact Kieve has been on our lives, you were my childhood and you are a huge part of our family and the Ladder 3 family,'” Williams said.
“As we walked off the subway to take the ferry to Staten Island we were engulfed by an eerie sight in Battery Park where flags were placed for each of the 9/11 victims and on each “flag of heroes” are the names of all victims. Wow. As we left lower Manhattan the fantail of the ferry was packed with people reflecting and looking at the Freedom Tower and the lights from the memorial. There were few dry eyes to be found,” Williams said.
