9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at Cos Cob Park Features Remarks from Harry Fisher

Thursday morning’s ceremony in Cos Cob Park marked 24 years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, also known as 9/11, which were four coordinated Islamist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States.

“Sept 11 was a day of unimaginable loss, but it also  revealed a deep strength, unity and resilience of American people. Strangers became neighbors, communities came together, and a nation stood tall in the face of sorrow,” said Stephanie Dunn Ashley from the 9/11 committee, in opening remarks.

She said the names of 32 members of the Greenwich community who lost their lives  in 2001 were forever etched into the twin glass towers of the memorial at the crest of the hill overlooking Cos Cob Harbor.

First Selectman Camillo said while memories tend to fade with the passage of time, but were vivid for the 3,000 families who lost loved ones including those with ties to Greenwich.

“Twenty-four years ago this morning, thousands of people woke up to go to work, never to return home, and hundreds of our first responders got up to go to work, never to return home. And we know the evil that was behind the cowardly act that took their lives is still here today. It still exists in the world, and that’s why these remembrances are critically important.”

Featured speaker Harry Fisher shared recollections of his brother Bennett, who was a senior vice president at Fiduciary Trust International when he died in the attack on the World Trade Center.

“I’m dressed as I was on that day when I went to my office in Stamford. The last time I saw my brother Ben was the previous Sunday at Indian Harbor Yacht Club. We had finished up our last fundraising effort for what is now called Fisher Field on Round Hill Road and we were talking about the next project – the Great Captain Island Ligthhouse.”

He recalled that when he heard the news of the attacks he went to a TV in his office, and knew his brother was in danger when saw the first tower fall.

He said he learned later that his brother had an opportunity to leave the buildings after he helped pack the elevators on the 44th floor and that he made it down to the concourse level where he apparently encountered some fire personnel.

“He may have done the same as I would, which is offer to help. As an aside, both of us were assigned as fire marshals at our respective companies,” Fisher recalled. “Ben was killed by blunt force trauma but we were fortunate to have his remains recovered. The support that materialized that day, days and weeks after, and up until now is quite something to receive, and quite unlike anything I’ve witnessed before.”

Fisher recalled going to a pier on the west side of Manhattan where his family took a boat to view the scene from a platform.

“When we returned to the pier, a few soldiers stood at attention and saluted us. It brought tears to my eyes. We were not alone as we knew many others who had suffered a loss and we attended many memorial services. There was a shared and private sense of loss in a very public setting.”

He recalled that his brother had served as treasurer at Indian Harbor Yacht Club.

“The employees loved him and brought a bar made of a sunfish sailboat to the house. That was very moving and another sign of support for us.”

Fisher, the sixth of seven children, said his brother was the eldest and a leader in the family.

“I felt a real loss that continues to this day,” he said. “Ben and I sparred often about what we thought was best for the family, but shared strong and similar political positions.”

He recalled sitting in silence outside his brother’s house with his uncle Everett as fighter planes flew overhead.

“We talked about the comparison of September 11th to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and how the attack on the 11th would likely bring the country together as did Pearl Harbor. That happened very quickly and also was reassuring.”

Mr. Fisher thanked everyone for attending and remembering those who perished. He added that he was thankful that far more people were able to escape on September 11 than the number lost.

State Rep Steve Meskers (D-150) said in an email after the event that he was working in Midtown Manhattan on Sept 11, 2001, which was a calm unusual day.

“We were on the trading floor at my bank watching CNBC when a video flashed to a plane striking the World Trade Center. At that the magnitude of the size of the plane was not obvious and some people speculated that it could have been a propeller plane, not realizing, in the moment that it was a 747,” he recalled.

“We had our phone lines open to the brokerage firm of Cantor Fitzgerald, and heard much of their conversation into the collapse of the Twin Towers,” he continued. “I was responsible for a group of people who worked for us and I made sure no one left our midtown office until I was comfortable that the air was free of any potential terrorists in planes.”

Meskers said most of the people who worked with him would be returning home either through Penn Station or Grand Central Station and he was worried that they would be targeted in a second wave.

“I’ve never spoken to this before, and I still think of that day in the thousands of lives lost. It is essential that we remember and reflect on the unity that the attack on our country engendered.”