By Michael V. Cusenza
The Howard Beach community on Sunday gathered in the sunshine at 165th Street and Cross Bay Boulevard for the first Flag Carry and Remembrance Walk to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Organized by the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association, the memorial march was completed to “honor all those we lost on Sept. 11, 2001.” Dozens of flag bearers and the crowd walked down Cross Bay Boulevard all the way to the Memorial Plaza at 84th Street and 157th Avenue for the civic’s annual ceremony.
Photo Courtesy of HBL Civic
The enormous flag requires dozens of bearers to stretch and carry down the boulevard.
Shown prominently at the plaza is the stone honoring the memory and service of Domenick DeVito, a City firefighter and Howard Beach resident who died earlier this year from complications related to several World Trade Center illnesses.
Additionally, the civic delivered breakfast and dinner on Wednesday to the 106th Precinct and the firehouse on Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach where Engine Co. 331 and Ladder Co. 173 are located.
Photo Courtesy of HBL Civic
The flag and crowd on Sunday makes its down Cross Bay towards the Memorial Plaza.
“As tires start to melt, the liquid that they create then starts to burn, which necessitates us to use the foam to extinguish. The number of tires they had stacked up was considerable,” said FDNY Acting Chief of Department John Esposito, who was at the scene, along with newly-minted City Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Photo Courtesy of HBL Civic
Retired City Firefighter and Sept. 11 first responder Jay Frango addresses his fellow Howard Beach residents at the memorial.
