9/11 Survivor Speaks at Woodbury Memorial

Woodbury, N.Y. — Just like every other town across the United States, September. 11, is a day that is never forgotten as so many lives were lost. However, for the Village of Woodbury this year had a different story that was focused on. Mike Hanson is a member of the Highland Mills Fire Company. On September 11, he was a first responder as a detective of ESU truck 1. In the last year, Hanson has been suffering from a neurological illness directly related to September 11.

Every year on this date Woodbury hosts a memorial service at The Highland Mills Fire House, a location that is fairly close to being the center of the town. This year, as the community gathered around the monument that had been placed at the firehouse as a remembrance of all those lost that day, including one of the department’s own, Michael Montesi a volunteer for Woodbury and also a member of the FDNY, there was a feeling of uncertainty as to who was going to speak at the ceremony in which Mike Hanson has spoken at the years prior.

Hanson and his family were in attendance and the volunteer firefighters stood in formation across from everyone. The priest from the church had started and then the microphone was passed to another member of the Highland Mills Fire Company and also a retired member of the Fire Department of New York, Jim Reilly. As Reilly had finished welcoming everyone to the ceremony the microphone was taken off the stand and held in front of Hanson who, due to his illness could barely talk. As Mike Hanson said the few words that he himself was capable of saying there was the feeling of pure emotion evident in the air. Hanson was then wheeled over to the rest of the department where he sat for the rest of the ceremony. His speaking may have been done but his speeches were not. One of the few female members of the Woodbury Fire Department, Nicole Thiess read aloud a speech that Hanson had written himself, recalling the events that happened seventeen years earlier.

“Hearing Mr. Hanson’s speech, you could look around the monument and see all these people, some of them didn’t know each other and yet they all stood there listening to his speech without a single dry eye,” said Nicholas Dohman, a member of the Woodbury Fire Department.

As the rest of the speech went on, and the moment of silence held, names of those who were lost that day and known by the community were said aloud as a remembrance.

Kenny Hand, a Woodbury resident said, “This ceremony has always been a beautiful ceremony even given the tragedy that was the reason that we have this ceremony every year. We come to this ceremony and really remember all those we lost that day and all those facing illnesses because of that day.”