Monuments to help all remember

Seventy six firefighters from Queens were killed responding to the attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11. These men and women who gave their lives trying to save others are memorialized with a monument at St. Michael’s Cemetery in East Elmhurst.
The monument was dedicated for those Queens firefighters lost in 2004. Two more memorials were added to honor the 37 Port Authority Police Officers and 23 members of the NYPD killed on 9/11 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. These monuments feature the name of each person lost that day.
Each of the monuments also features a Memory Medallion next to every name. These computerized medallions store photos and a biography of the deceased that can be accessed through a smart phone. The technology helps bring to life the memory and the story of those honored on the monument.
In 2008 a permanent memorial to all city and Port Authority first responders lost in the line of duty from 1995, with the exception of those lost on 9/11, was dedicated as well.
The passage on the firefighter’s 9/11 monument begins “The gift you gave, the price you paid/will never be forgotten.”
Each year hundreds of loved ones and New Yorkers gather at St. Michael’s to remember the lives of the men and women and make sure the passage holds true. This year’s memorial service will be held on September 24 at 2 p.m.
The cemetery is located at 72-02 Astoria Boulevard and the memorial service is open to the public.