SCRANTON, Pa. — For the 19th year, the bells tolled, followed by a gun salute, as people gathered at the memorial in McDade Park to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost on September 11.
"There are people alive today who have no idea what September 11, 2001, was about. We want to remind them of that and remind them of the fact that freedom isn't free and the attack that day was on our freedom," said 9/11 Memorial Committee Chairman Charlie Spano.
Now in 2020, we are in the midst of another crisis: a pandemic. The committee decided to honor first responders and essential workers who have been critical these last few months.
"Our employees were there day in and day out to serve the public. To be included in something like this is just overwhelming," said Joyce Fasula of Gerrity's Supermarket.
The names of people who died as a result of 9/11 from Lackawanna County were read aloud during the ceremony. This year, another name was added to the statue: Scranton Patrolman Daniel Christian Shaufler.
"It's a sad thing to add a new name but it's also something we will not shirk from because that memory of that name and that man must live as long as we possibly can," said Spano.
In 2001, Dan was part of a disaster response team that FEMA activated when the attack happened.
"He led a contingency of a few hundred people out of northeast Pennsylvania into Ground Zero and they were there for a few days. They went out as search and rescue and it turned into a recovery only," said Dan's widow Sheila.
Dan battled lymphoma twice. Once in 2007 and again in 2017, when he was with the Scranton Police Department. He lost his battle with the disease in 2019 and the committee chose to memorialize his heroism and strength this year.
"He would pass it on to his brothers and sisters at Scranton Fire and Scranton Police Departments and would say this is what we do. He would never make it about himself, ever," continued Sheila.
19 years later the losses and sense of loss from 9/11 continue.