A fire bell tolled mournfully three times and echoed across Woodbury’s Hollow Park and beyond on Friday morning Sept 11th 2026 in the 25th anniversary of the Nine Eleven terrorist attacks in the US. With the bell ringing, Firefighters honored the 343 New York City firemen who died in the hijacked airplane crashes that demolished the World Trade Center. The New York firefighters were among the 2997 persons killed in the coordinated aerial onslaught directed against New York and Washington that morning in 2001.
More than 100 spectators joined the public event before a fire department and ambulance association honor guard, flag bearers from the town’s American legion Post 155, town officials, clergy, and educators.
Bishop Aldrich, a senior at Nonnewaug High School, sang the Star Spangled Banner. He was escorted by Brian Murphy, Region 14 superintendent of schools, and Mykal Kuslis, NHS principal and a captain in the state’s Army National Guard. Nick Ciasullo, high school music director, led the school orchestra in a medley of Armed Forces music. The American Legion flagbearers were Bob Kelleher, a Navy veteran, and Ray Manzi, a Coast Guard veteran. Speakers were Paul Zulpa and Karen Reddington Hughes, both town selectmen.
The Rev. Bill Florin of Woodbury’s United Methodist Church delivered the invocation, the Rev. Brandon Dunas who is chaplain of the Woodbury Fire Dept, read the Firemen’s Prayer, and the Benediction came from the Rev. Tuesday Rupp of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. After her prayer, the Rev. Rupp sang ‘American the Beautiful’ to end the event.
In the photo, standing at attention (l-r) are Woodbury Fire Chief Janet B. Morgan, guest Fire Chief Dave Bousquet of Harwinton, Fire Capt Corey Shaker, Chaplain the Rev. Brandon Dumas, Fire Lt. Ryan Murphy, and barely visible, Firefighter Rob Start.
Bud Neal, a former fire chief and a retired captain in the Army’s elite Green Berets, presented bouquets to two families present at the ceremony out of the six victims from Woodbury. The September 11 ceremony, known simply as 9/11, honor the dead from the 2001 attack. Al-Qaeda suicide terrorists hijacked four passenger aircraft from American and United Airlines. The terrorists flew two planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and a third onto the Pentagon in Washington DC. The fourth aircraft crashed in a Pennsylvania field as passengers fought the hijackers.
This year’s event was under the supervision of Graham Musson, Woodbury director of Parks & Recreation.