25th anniversary tribute recalls 9-11 accounts of heroism

By Ed Pierce

It’s been a quarter of a century since the terrorist attacks on America on 9-11, but it’s something that continues to haunt many people locally and led American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 to create an anniversary tribute and day of remembrance in Windham on Friday, Sept. 11.

Yvonne Johnson of American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 was
the emcee and organizer of an event recalling the tragic events
of 9-11, lives lost during the terrorist attacks on America and 
the bravery of first responders held at the Windham Veterans
Center on Friday, Sept. 11. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

Created and organized by Post 148 Second Vice Commander Yvonne Johnson, the gathering at the Windham Veterans Center featured guest speakers, Windham public safety leaders and emotional stories of canine rescues and lost lives.

Johnson introduced Post 148 Commander Tom Theriault who described in detail events that led to nearly 3,000 Americans perishing in terrorist-hijacked flights used as guided missiles to strike the World Trade Center Towers in New York City and at The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. while another hijacked flight crashed after passengers fought back over the skies of Pennsylvania.

Windham Fire-Rescue Chief Brent Libby and Windham Police Captain Jason Burke discussed firefighters and police officers who gave their lives attempting to save those trapped in buildings struck by the terrorists.

In all a total of six Mainers died on 9-11 including one serving in the military at The Pentagon and five who were aboard planes that were hijacked that day.

During the tribute, K-9 officers and their police handlers from Windham, Gorham and Westbrook stood by while Johnson related to the audience the story of K-9 Trakr, a German Shepherd police dog from Canada who helped search for survivors at Ground Zero after the 9-11 attacks.

“Trakr was handled by Canadian police officer James Symington and helped locate Genelle Guzman-McMillan, who was trapped under the rubble as the last living survivor from the South Tower 27 hours after the towers fell,” Johnson said.

In 2008, seven years after the tragedy, Symington won a contest to clone the dog, resulting in the birth of five puppy Trakr clones in 2009, Johnson said.

She then presented pins and medals for the local K-9 and their handlers in memory of K-9 Trakr and New York Port Authority K-9 Sirius, whose remains were found in 2002 in the wreckage of the World Trade Center’s South Tower after his handler had been injured and hospitalized in the collapse of the North Tower.

“The valor of K-9 Sirius reminds us he will never be forgotten,” Johnson said.

Freeport Deputy Fire Chief Luke Vashon told the story of how the town applied for and was able to obtain steel beams from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

Vashon said it took three years from the time Freeport applied to a dedication ceremony once the beams were transported to the town in September 2011.

The 9-11 memorial is at the Public Safety Building in Freeport, and everyone is welcome to visit, he said.

Major General Bill Libby of Old Orchard Beach was serving as commander of the Maine National Guard on Sept. 11, 2001, when the governor at the time, now U.S. Senator Angus King, sought his guidance about how to best keep the state safe on 9-11.

“Gov. King took swift action and closed the capitol,” General Libby told the audience at the 9-11 tribute event. “He activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center.”

He shared a story about the Maine Air Guard, who happened to be flying a mission that day over the New Jersey coast. After the attacks, the crew was ordered to help refuel military aircraft over New York City. 

“Our lives have changed significantly in reaction to the events of that day,” the general said. “During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we lost 56 Mainers.”

He said that with each passing year following the terrorist attacks on 9-11, he has come to realize that the aftermath was equally as important as the attacks themselves when Americans unified as one to overcome the tragedies and rebuild their lives.

“I commemorate 9-11 every year but celebrate 9-12,” General Libby said. “We need to find the spirit of 9-12 again in this country.”

Windham Police Chief Kevin Schofield and Windham Fire-Rescue Chief Brent Libby placed a wreath in the Windham Veterans Center garden for the observance.

Members of Legion Post 148’s Honor Guard fired a 21-gun salute, and it was followed by the playing of “Taps” by Post 148 bugler Randy Kitano and a benediction by Chaplain Cheryl Guddy of the Department of Maine American Legion. <

    

Never forget: Veterans remember 9/11 victims and those who have died in Afghanistan

Veterans from American Legion Post 148 and
VFW Post 10643 gathered at the Windham
Public Safety Building on Saturday, Sept. 11
to remember those lost on 9/11 and in
Afghanistan and pay tribute to first
responders in Windham. COURTESY PHOTO 

By Collette Hayes

The late U.S. President John F. Kennedy once said, “The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it.” On the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States last Saturday, veterans from American Legion Post 148 and VFW Post 10643 in Windham gathered at the Public Safety Building on Gray Road and stood in tribute to those who have paid the high price of freedom.

A contingent of veterans stood in silence for 15 minutes to reflect and to remember service members lost in the 20-year war including the 13 service members fallen in the recent events in Afghanistan and for those first responders lost in the tragic moments when the Twin Towers fell in New York City on 9/11.

On the solemn 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States, veterans as well as representatives from Windham’s local police and fire departments gathered outside the Windham Public Safety Building to honor those fallen while serving to protect America’s freedom.

“American Legion stands for 100 percent Americanism and to remember all wars,” said David Tanguay, American Legion District Two Adjutant and Field-Allen Post 148 Adjutant. “We are here to honor those first responders to the 9/11 attacks who did not run from the tragic events but ran forward to save lives. Each day we should thank our first responders for their sacrifice and for protecting our communities. The cry at the time of the 9/11 event was ‘We shall never forget.’ I pray that on this 20th anniversary of the attacks, the nation will again come together and remember.”

The group recalled all first responders that lost their lives when they entered the twin towers and more than 300 others who have perished as a result of lingering health issues from that day.

“We are honored that American Legion veterans are thinking of us on the 20-year anniversary of 9/11,” said Brent Libby, Fire and Rescue Chief for the Town of Windham. “Three Hundred Forty-Three firefighters and over 72 police officers gave their lives. These individuals should definitely be acknowledged and remembered for their sacrifice.”

Throughout the tribute, 13 veterans stood in a flag line holding United States flags in memory of the most recent fallen.

“I would like to take a moment to remember the 13 service members lost on the last days of the drawdown of troops in the protracted war in Afghanistan,” Tanguay said. “The flag line today is in place to remember their service as well as to honor all service members lost in the 20-year war as well. I ask the flag line to stand in silence for the next 15 minutes,” he said. “We would like to honor this time with prayer, reflection and remembrance for their sacrifice and also to remember their families in this time of grief.”

Navy Seal Jeff Cook, now retired after 26 years of military service, was 40 years old when he first went to Afghanistan.

“I was part of the group that was sent to build the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan which was the epicenter of the war against the Tailban and al-Queda for 20 years,” he said. “During this time, many military service young men and women tasked with this job, died. It is important that we remember them for their sacrifice.”

On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, those attending the event reflected, remembered and honored all Americans who have acknowledged that freedom isn’t free and responded to President Kennedy’s request to “Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” <

Windham Fire Department grateful for Hovercraft donation

Lee's Family Trailer Sales and Service donated this
four-passenger Neoteric Hovercraft to the Windham Fire
Department. It will allow fire and  rescue crews to be better 
able to respond to emergencies on and around bodies of
water. COURTESY PHOTO, DANIEL CRAFFEY  

By Elizabeth Richards

In a community with an abundance of recreational water bodies, safety can be a top concern. Through the donation of a four-passenger Neoteric Hovercraft, the Windham Fire Department will be more able to respond to emergencies on and around these bodies of water.

Daniel Craffey, the owner of Lee’s Family Trailer Sales and Service in Windham, said that they received the vehicle as a trade in. While they initially considered reselling it, he said, after looking online and seeing that it could be used for ice rescues, they quickly decided to donate it to the fire department instead.

This isn’t the first time that the company has donated a valuable resource to the community’s public safety personnel. They’ve also rebuilt a trailer, free of charge, for the police department.

“We’ve got some great employees here and they all live in the area,” Craffey said. “Windham’s been a great place to do business and we like to do stuff like that.”

The business has grown substantially, Craffey said, since he took over in 2017. “We’re doing really well here, and we want to pass it on,” he said.

A hovercraft vehicle is a machine that can operate on land, water, and even broken-up ice. A fan forces air under the machine, lifting it to float up to 9 inches above the surface on a cushion of air, according to the Neoteric website.

Windham Fire Chief Brent Libby said that until last year, the department hadn’t had a marine resource for several years. Last year, the department partnered with the Maine Forest Service, housing a 16-foot aluminum boat in return for access to that boat.

The hovercraft, he said, provides an additional marine resource that will be useful not only on open water, but especially on ice. Currently, if an incident occurs on the ice, the department would either need to get an airboat from the warden service or walk out in their gear, which could take a significant amount of time to reach someone in need of assistance.

Because a hovercraft is a specialized machine, training is required to operate it safely. Libby said that the department has reached out to Neoteric and are coordinating with them to have a representative come and do in-service training.

Libby said that the purchase of a hovercraft probably wouldn’t have been a direction the department went. Before partnering with the Forest Service, the department’s capital plan included acquisition of a boat.

“It’s maybe not something we would have gone for normally, but it will certainly be a huge asset to the community and the marine areas we have,” he said.  “It will take us a bit of time to get trained and comfortable with its operation, especially to function in emergency response, but it certainly will fill a void for us and I’m sure for our neighboring communities as well.”

According to Libby, area departments rely on each other for support, equipment and personnel in any major incident.

“This will just be another tool in that toolbox for all of us to have access to and utilize,” he said.

While they haven’t run the hovercraft yet to see what it can do, Libby said, the previous owner had used it on mud flats. The Windham fire department also reached out to other departments in the country to be sure it would be helpful for emergency response.

“Those agencies we spoke with have found it beneficial as well. We extend our appreciation and thanks to Lee’s Family Trailer for thinking of us, when they came across the piece of equipment, and recognizing that it might be helpful to us and the community,” Libby said. “We certainly appreciate that and their generosity in donating it to us.” <

Knights of Columbus salute Windham public safety with special lunch

Windham's Knights of Columbus provided
Windham First Responders and Public Safety
personnel with a catered luncheon to thank
them for their caring efforts on behalf of the
community at the Public Safety Building on
Pope Road in Windham on Dec. 22. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The Windham Knights of Columbus surprised Windham First Responders and Public Safety Staff and families with a catered luncheon at the Public Safety Building on Pope Road in Windham on Dec. 22.

The Knights provided sandwiches, snacks, cold drinks and desserts for more than 100 people in appreciation for the sacrifice and work performed by public safety staff members of Windham.

"It has been a rough year for our first responders and their families, and this is a small way of saying thank you," said Knights of Columbus Deputy Grand Knight Richard Drapeau. " Church, community, family and life are the four cornerstones of Columbianism and we are glad to celebrate community here today together."

Expressing their gratitude for the event, among the many public safety staff members in attendance were Windham Police Chief Kevin Schofield and Windham Fire Chief Brent Libby.

Drapeau also expressed appreciation to wives, family members and loved ones of all Windham public safety personnel for the sacrifices they make on behalf of the community.

Representing the Knights were Grand Knight Charlie Bourgie; Deputy
Grand Knight Richard Drapeau; Treasurer Mike Roy; and members Robert Carter; John O'Brien; and Robert Morin.

Among public safety personnel attending the event were Police Chief Kevin Schofield; Police Captain Bill Andrews; Captain Ray Williams; and Patrol Officer Ernest MacVaine; Fire Chief Brent Libby; Deputy Fire Chief John Kooistra; and Firefighter and EMT Dane Gomberg. <