"Remembering 416"

Thomas Pickford, Victim's Father:
"You know, you shouldn't play politics with something like this. This is, this hurting us. We hurt, we hurt already. And ah...it's a shame. It's a shame."

Anchor Woman: "Thomas Pickford lost his son Christopher on September 11th. Christopher, and 114 other Brooklyn firefighters perished on that horrible day. All of them drove across the Brooklyn Bridge in an effort to save lives. Today, a memorial honoring those heroes is collecting dust, on the floor of a Long Island monument company because of what some all calling 'red tape.'"

Thomas Pickford, Victim's Father: "Of course, it can't lay here, this is terrible. Yea, we need this for our healing. You know, my family can go and see this. This hon... I don't have to go to Colorado, I don't have to go to Washington."

Anchor Woman: "Creation of the monument began in November, 2001. Saul Moglen raised more than $140,000 in private funds to pay for it."

Sol Moglen, Sponsor, "We would like to put it up November 3rd, before the winter starts. We would like to see the families come and spend Christmas at the wall. They can have Sunday services at the wall, it's their wall, it's for them."

Anchor Woman: "The wall has an etched picture of every firefighter killed on September 11th. In the center is a sculpture of two firefighters, 'who made it out.' One is crying and carrying the helmet
of a lost brother."

In Manhattan, outside at Columbus Circle,
Adrian Benepe, NYC Parks Commissioner: "I'll work with Mr. Moglen. We'll take it to the Art Commision, and we'll see what we can do to get it put up."

Female Reporter: "Quick?

Adrian Benepe, NYC Parks Commissioner: "As quick as we can."

Male Newscaster, Nighttime Shot, at the World Trade Center Site:
"There has been much debate about the memorial being created at the World Trade Center site, but at Coney Island there already is a touching tribute to the first responders who died that day."

ABC7 News Michele Charlesworth:
"...hail to the first responders who died on 9/11. So many people are STILL waiting to see one in Lower Manhattan, but there already is one in Brooklyn, honoring the fallen..."

"Let's not forget who they were. They were heroes."

Rev. Msgr. John Delendick: FDNY Chaplain
"This is still a place to enjoy yourselves. To come, see your loved ones, and, and, to, to, to...remember the good times. Not just the fact that they died, but to remember the fact that they lived."

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, FDNY
"The fact that, ah, after all these years, there are still people who DON'T have a place to go--that is very upsetting."

Lt. Mike Hyland, FDNY (Ret.)
"It just brings back the memories, you know, it's...not just the name plate, and, here it is...and it's also the guys...who died with their company."

Raymond Gol, Wall of Remembrance, Director: "These are men who went across the bridge one morning, never to come home. And, some of their children that were born after the fact, never got to meet 'em, and they can go to the wall and see what a true hero their father, or their uncle, or their brother was."

Captain Luke Lynch, FDNY: "There's people who, ah, their remains were never found, and it maybe just gives people ah, ah, ah...to see the faces of the firefighters who went in, it gives people, ah, pause to thought, you know, they can look at the faces and see that these were just, these were working stiffs going in, doing their job, and a, and, you know...it, it makes them, it makes them human, they're not a, they're not a name, they're people."

Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President: "They're members of our family. And although I may not know everyone that's on this wall, I feel, and all Brooklynites feel, that they are indeed, members of our family. Why this wall is important: it's important for the families, to be able to come here every now and then, to show their children, and I know, their children, will be able to be here as well, in remembrance of these outstanding heroes."

Adrian Benepe, NYC Parks Commissioner:
"And this is really the first of the perminent memorials. This is the first one to actually pay tribute in a perminent way to the specific individuals, because people came out, and they've planted daffodils to reafirm life, and we've planted the first memorial grove is here in Brooklyn, in Sunset Park. So in many ways the people wanted to, contribute, but Sol Molgen was the first one who said, 'I want to do something very specific, and very personal."

Bill deBlasio, NYC Council: "The love these families have given, to the people of Brooklyn, and the people of New York City, is exemplified by their sacrifice---there is no higher form of love, than, what the men featured here, gave to all of us, and now
these families give to all of us."

Former NYC Mayor, Rudolph Guiliani: "They did something for our whole country. It's going to be very much part of our history. The terrorists wanted to accomplish two things: they wanted to kill large numbers of us, and then they wanted to break our spirit. And they accomplished killing large numbers of us, and for that they should be brought to justice. But they failed to break our spirit, unless we let them do that. And these men made that possible, by the way they acted. They began the fight back in a very, very brave way, and now it's our job to carry it on. Thank you very much for memorializing them, particularly I thank you for doing it at this ball park, which for me personally means a great deal, and for the people of Brooklyn, and, I know, it's going to mean something to young people in the future, when they come here and look at this wall, and the heroism that lies behind it will be described to them, and it will develop them as people, and as Americans."

Domenic Reccia, NYC Council:
"This project is what we believe in. And this project, we believe will go forward. And, what I mean by 'will go forward,' I have recieved numerous phone calls, I would say at least 500 to 1000 phone calls, from those familes, of those firefighters, that LIVE in Brooklyn, that...died in the World Trade Center...and that are not honored here today, and I told those familes that I will fight for them. I will raise the money, and help, and work with everyone involved, to see if we can expand this project, to go along the walls, of all those firefighters. OK? And that's where, we must not forget."

"Frank Polumbo had ten kids. They never found Frank's body. We've had all ten kids come to our events, and to have a family of ten kids, to know that they can go see their dads on the wall, is very touching and moving."

Retired Captain John Vigiano: 'That's my boy, John Vigiano. "Sunshine," That's what we used to call him.'

Reporter Allison Honz:
"Retired captain John Vigiano lost the only
kids he had in the world. Both sons, John, a firefighter, and Joe, a police officer."

Retired Captain John Vigiano:
A name is just numbers, letters, you can get that anyplace, you can pick up a telephone book. But here you see him, I see my sons."

Alice Henry, Son Killed on 9/11
"It's a pleasure, very gratifying. Especially when you see people come, whose son or husband was not on the wall before. Now they're on the wall, they're actually on the wall where people can see them'

Janet Lane, Son Killed on 9/11: "When they first did the wall, we loved the fact of seeing a face. It's so much nicer than seeing a name. I can bring my granddaughteer here and say this is your uncle and she can actually see his face. It's beautiful"

Mother of FF Joseph Hen...:
"I'd rather see him on the wall, than downtown, where I won't even know where his name is. They're going to have an empty pool. That's not a reflection of my son. This is my son.

Janet Lane, Son Killed on 9/11:
"We'll always celebrate his life and to have his face where years from now people can come here and say, "Oh there's Bobby Lane. Wonderful. It's his face. We know what he looked like. Makes me very happy, just keeping him alive. To me that's keeping him alive. People will not forget him."

[Her tee shirt emblem says: 'In memorium 86, 55, 246, Bobby Lane.']

Priest: "Every Palm Sunday we have mass here, and, and, the crowds that come, are just phenominal, and you can see it in their faces. Ah, the times will come...and you'll always see a family or two, stopping, just to look, and place a flower or put a card or something on there--their loved one's, ah, picture. The great thing about here is Coney Island is a place where you have fun, OK? The monument that's going to be built down at Ground Zero is going to speak of death, This speaks of life, just because of where it's at, so we want people coming to Coney Island, look at their loved one on the walls and remember the good times, remember the fun they had together, and, and, to keep that going."

Jackie Mason: "Let's dedicate ourselves to remembering them and never forget them
and let's always remember this wall so whenever you want to think of them, and think of their families. Thank God that they have a place to come here in their honor."

Guitarist on Stage: "Sol showed me the wall. And ah, he told me that he was trying to get it finished....I haven't forgotten September 11th, and I never want anybody else too either, and, ah...[audience wolf whistles] we sure feel for everybody who lost somebody that day. And when I went out to the wall, and I saw those spaces on the wall, and some missing, I thought, you know, I could really play a part in trying to help solve this, and the guys, get this wall completed. [male grunts] And with this concert, and fund raising efforts that have taken place since we went out there, I think we got it done. I think the wall is going to get finished."

Jackie Mason: "I'm not here to make fun of people. I'm here only to congratulate. People like you and all the others who have done so much and given so much to make this wall possible."

News Clip Montage
Woman newscaster:
"They call it The Wall of Remembrance, and it's a tribute in Coney Island to first responders killed on 9/11. The wall originally listed the names of fallen heroes who worked in Brooklyn, but today it was officially expanded. Allison Honz was at KeySpan park where the emotional ceramony took place."

Reporter Voice Over:
"Music, prayer, and a special blessing, the Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance and Tribute Walk was rededicated to include all of the New York City first responders who lost their lives on 9/11. Through the pounding rain, family and friends remembered the lives that were lost."

John Vigiano, Lost Two Sons on 9/11: "We have all cried. We have all felt despair. We have all suffered. But today we can smile. And we can remember not the sadness that brought us here, but the wonderful memories of those brave souls who have left us."

Reporter Voice Over: "John Vigiano, a retired fire captain lost his two sons that day. John Jr., a fire fighter, and Joe, a detective. Today he praised the efforts of those who created the Brooklyn tribute, which features a statue modelled after one of his sons. The expanded wall now includes not just the names of hero first-responders from Brooklyn, but the names and portraits of first responders, who died from Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island."

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, fire chaplain: "I think all of you recognize that the word 'wall' has 'all' in it, and a Saul Muglan wouldn't rest until all the names---the all is in the wall."

Camera pans a young couple under an umbrella, with faces averted. The back of the man's tee shirt is emblazoned, 'In Loving Memory. Father & Son' above two fire department helmets with radiating halos, above the names Joseph Angelini, Rescue 1, and Joseph Angelini Jr. Ladder 4, and 'Ultimate Sacrifice, WORLD TRADE CENTER, September 11, 2001.'

Voice Over:
"Many fought back tears, including celebraties like actor Gary Sinise and Jon Voght who had been passionately behind the project. Voght movingly spoke of the men and women who perished that day, and the strength of those left behind."

Jon Vought [weeping]: "I believe that I am standing in front of many heroes."

Voice Over:
"Heroes who are not only etched in the hearts and minds of family and friends, but now on this Brooklyn wall, for the rest of eternity."

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, fire chaplain: "Together, we have built a place, where the holy and the human are one. May it be blesssed. Amen."

Camera pans to row of uniformed firemen standing praying, along with a first-grade school boy, head bowed.

Voice Over: "In Brooklyn, I'm Allison Honz for the CW 11 News at Ten."
Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance
www.brooklynwall.org
Produced by C.I.C. Productions
Executive Producer: Sol Moglen
Director: Russell DePhillips
Editor: Russell DePhillips
Audio Mix: Eric Thompson
Footage From:
WCBS
WABC
CW11
News 12
Marty Markowitz
C.I.C. Productions
Thanks to: Berwyn Editorial & the staff at Berwyn Editorial
Watch for the full documentary film
"Remembering 416"
www.remembering416.com
Copyright 2007, 2008, 2009
C. I.C. Productions
11:45 minutes