Residents from throughout Queens gathered at the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps last week to remember Richard Allen Pearlman, who died trying to save others in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Michael Florio/The Forum Newsgroup
The Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps held a memorial for Richard Allen Pearlman 12 years after he gave his life to help the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The memorial is held every year on Sept. 11 to remember the ultimate sacrifice that Pearlman made to help those in need. Those that gathered shared their memories of Pearlman with one word being used most of all, hero.
“He was a big overgrown teddy bear with a heart of gold,” said Dorie Pearlman, Richard Pearlman’s mother. “He was a very soft, caring person, who was always willing to help.”
Pearlman was a member of the youth corps and was about to become a member of the senior corps said former president, lieutenant and captain of the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps Daniel Exler.
“Richard always had to help, that was who he was,” he said.
A plaque honoring Richard Allen Pearlman hangs in the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps headquarters.
Exler was there on Sept. 11 alongside Pearlman and hundreds of EMTs.
“I remember being nervous,” he said. “I remember carnage. There was no building, debris was everywhere, it was just a mess.”
The corps plans on building a memorial garden in Pearlman’s honor.
Dorie Pearlman was pleased with the memorial.
“I’m very happy that they will have a permanent memorial for my son,” she said. “Many of the members are new and they don’t know my son. This will be a reminder of my son and the things that he did.”
The corps members are also happy to see the memorial be built.
“It will make me happy to see that in his honor,” said Exler.
The memorial will be built right in front of the ambulance corps base.
“Our plans are to construct a memorial that will be permanent, that the Pearlman family can come to and reflect upon,” said President of the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Ron Cohen.
Cohen went on to explain the design plans of the memorial. “The center piece of the garden will be an eye beam, a piece of steal from the world trade center, which will be lit up along with the flag pole.”
“It’s a long time coming,” said Exler on the memorial. “It’s something important that we need. In my opinion there are people that have forgotten, but the ambulance corps here, we will never forget one of our own. We will never forget Richie and what he sacrificed.”
Similar to Pearlman’s mother, Cohen wants the memorial to emphasize to new members who Pearlman was and the sacrifices he made, while also making his parents feel welcomed.
“The Pearlman family have been quite active with the corps over the last 12 years,” said Cohen. “But little by little the faces are changing and it may be uncomfortable if the members don’t know who their son was.”
The memorial will make sure not only that no one ever forgets Pearlman, but also that his family always feels welcomed.
“This memorial is a gift for the family to forever have something that they can come to and sit and reflect upon and know this is theirs,” said Cohen.
By Michael Florio
