We Were There: Schoharie County and the 9/11 Response
On the eve of the 18th Anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Schoharie County Historical Society will present “We Were There: Schoharie County and the 9/11 Response”, a special event to recognize, honor and remember the local heroes who answered the call, stayed the course and did the impossible tasks when they were needed most.
This free public program will be held at the Schoharie Fire Department beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 7 and will feature powerful video segments, personal photos and a moderated panel discussion with local representatives who responded and served at Ground Zero.
Numerous artifacts, generously on-loan from private collections and the collections of the New York State Museum, will also be on display.
“This is our story,” said Schoharie County Historical Society Trustee and event co-creator Curt VanSteele. “Every citizen of this nation, state and country who was alive that September morning was impacted at some level. Some were immediately placed into service, some were waiting to be called upon, others contributed finances and resources, many of us prayed and many heroes gave their lives to save the thousands who were evacuated or rescued.”
It was a recent conversation with his cousin and former New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) Operations Officer Brian Head, said VanSteele, which made it clear to him that an event recognizing and honoring the local response to the 9/11 attacks was not only important, but necessary.
“Almost 20 years later, I found myself learning about things relating to the 911 story that I, like many others, had never heard,” said VanSteele. “We decided this was a story that needed to be told, documented and remembered.”
A main portion of the “We Were There…” program will feature a panel discussion facilitated by former SEMO Chief of Training and Exercise and current village of Richmondville Mayor Kevin Neary with representatives from a wide range of local and state agencies. Those agencies include the New York State Police, the Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Emergency Management, local fire and ambulance squads and others.
Prior to the event, each panel participant will have shared their stories with local videographer Dennis Shaw and selections from those interviews will be shown as part of the program. The video segments will then join the archives at the Schoharie County Historical Society and the New York State Museum, ensuring the role Schoharie County residents had in the days, weeks, months and years after the attacks will never be forgotten.
Refreshments, including a variety of light finger foods and beverages, will be generously provided by the Bull’s Head Inn.
Anyone who has a personal story surrounding the events of September 11, 2001 who has not already been contacted and interviewed is encouraged to call event organizer Melinda McTaggart at (518) 295-7192 or email outreach@theoldstonefort.org.
The Schoharie County Fire Department is located at 114 Fort Road in the village of Schoharie.
