THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 Page 5 ANNIVERSARY | FROM Page 3 what we have pledged to do and this is what we will continue to do always.” Mayor Patrick Keefe addressed the gathering, recalling how an ordinary September morning became a defi ning moment in American history. “2,977 people went to work, got on a plane, were traveling to see family. Just an ordinary day,” Keefe said. He recalled the first plane striking the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m., saying the events that followed fundamentally changed American life. “From that moment on, our lives in this world have changed immensely,” Keefe said. As the years pass, Keefe said, one of the challenges is preserving the details and memories of the day. “Sometimes I wonder if we forget the details,” he said. “It’s a genuine concern of mine, forgetting because we live in the moment and we’re only human.” For Mayor Keefe, remembering 9/11 should go beyond looking back. He urged those gathered to use the anniversary as an opportunity to honor the victims through their actions and the way they treat others. “So, if we can learn from our past, it’s not just about remembering. That’s the least that we can do. It’s about honoring and taking action. It’s about living and being a decent person,” he said. He also refl ected on the unity that followed the attacks, when Americans came together despite political, regional and personal diff erences. “We came together because division is what our enemies want,” he said. “And together we are united and as strong as one.” State Rep. Jessica Giannino off ered a personal perspective on the anniversary, noting the generational divide between those who remember Sept. 11 fi rsthand and those who know the event only through stories from their families. “There are people here that were born after September 11th that serve on our fi re department and on our police department that don’t remember the day except from the stories of their siblings and their parents and their grandparents,” Giannino said. Giannino said that despite not personally remembering the attacks, those younger public safety offi cials were still drawn to careers of service. “And that call to service still brought them standing here today,” she said. Giannino also shared her own memories of the attacks. She recalled being a fourthgrade student at the Whalen School and watching as classmates were dismissed throughout the day. By about 2 p.m., she said, only herself and several other students remained in the classroom. Her father, who worked at the police department, eventually arrived on a motorcycle to take her home. At the time, Giannino said, she did not fully understand what was happening, but she remembered the reassurance that the school was one of the safest places for her to be. Twenty-fi ve years later, she said those memories remain vivid. “I know like every person here, we all have a story and we can all remember where we were that day,” Giannino said. Giannino also stressed that the impact of 9/11 did not end on Sept. 11, 2001. She pointed to fi rst responders who traveled from across New England and the country to assist at the World Trade Center site and later suff ered from illnesses and other health eff ects connected to their work there. She urged residents to remember not only those who died during the attacks, but also those who lost their lives in the years afterward. “We make sure it doesn’t just become a page in the history books,” Giannino said. For younger generations, she said, 9/11 risks becoming something learned primarily through stories from older relatives, much as previous generations learned about events such as World War II. “It’s a story that they hear about,” Giannino said. “So, it’s important that it lives on. It’s important that we honor the memory.” The observance then moved into a formal memorial ceremony. Members of the public safety community conducted the ringing of the bells, with Box 5555 signifying a lineof-duty death. The American fl ag was lowered to half-staff , followed by a minute of complete silence. Father Leonardo later led those gathered in prayer, including a reading from the Gospel of John focused on love, friendship and sacrifi ce. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” the reading stated. A prayer was also off ered for those who died on Sept. 11, their families, friends and coworkers, as well as those who continue to serve their communities with courage and dignity. As the ceremony came to a close, another sounding of Box Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 MORE SUPPOR MORE SOLUTIONS. LESS WORR Clear answers, faster decisions, and a team that goe to get things done. We make it easy for Because here, easy means more. team that goe r you to get more of what you want. EverettBank.com 5555 marked the fi nal tribute. Condolences were also off ered to the wife of Fire Captain Richard Lorano, who had recently passed away. Twenty-fi ve years later, Revere’s observance served as a reminder that the legacy of Sept. 11 is carried not only in the memories of those who witnessed it, but also in the generations of firefighters, police offi cers, EMS personnel and other public servants who continue to answer the call. As Giannino put it, those who responded on 9/11 demonstrated the meaning of service by going toward danger while others were fl eeing it. “When everyone was running out, they were the ones running in,” she said. “So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
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