Dozens mark 24 years since end of rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero

Twenty-four years after rescue and recovery ended at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, dozens gathered to commemorate the sacrifice of the workers who spent nine months sifting through the rubble after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the many who died from illness after their service.

There have been more than 9,000 deaths attributed to illnesses in the aftermath of the response, roughly three times the 2,977 people killed in the immediate attacks. First responders, their families and other officials placed flowers at the six stone monoliths rising from the ground at the memorial pathway on the anniversary of the formal end of recovery efforts.

The solemn gathering took place on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. An interagency honor guard presented the colors alongside pipes and drums that rang out across the memorial site. An FDNY official struck a bell before the gathering observed a moment of silence.

"I remember a lot of the people," said Julio Diaz, 52, of the Bronx, a retired 20-year veteran of the NYPD and a first responder at the attacks who later worked at Ground Zero. "This is a way to honor them."

John Paluska, who was an 18-year-old Fordham University student at the time of the attacks, volunteered to assist in the rescue and recovery operation. He later joined the Army, became a Green Beret and was awarded the Purple Heart before cofounding the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Visionary Network — a group focused on preserving the memory of Sept. 11, 2001.

"We honor the tens of thousands from across America and around the world who came to help and heal," Paluska said at the ceremony. "Their selflessness and resolve, perseverance and courage renewed the spirit of this grieving city."

A seventh moment of silence will be held at this year's upcoming Sept. 11 memorial ceremony to honor first responders and others who have died from related health issues, said Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

The original six moments of silence mark the times hijackers hit each Twin Tower and the Pentagon, when the towers fell and when one hijacked flight crashed in Pennsylvania.  

Standing feet away from the reflecting pools below the One World Trade Center, Hillman said there's significance to recognizing those who have — and continue — to suffer from their work at Ground Zero.

"The healing and recovery that's been possible since 9/11 would never have happened but for the people that came to help," Hillman said.

Julia Menin, speaker of the City Council, said the workers who spent nine months on the rubble "set an example for what it means to be resilient and come together as one people and one nation."

Rafe Greco, 58, of the Bronx, was one of those people. The welder volunteered in the wake of the attacks and spent months using a torch to cut through jagged and distorted metal in search of remains.

A separate day for those who worked in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks is important to recognize those who gave up their health and their lives to be part of the recovery, said Greco, who was part of the ceremony to cut down the last column of debris in 2002.

More than 150,000 people are enrolled in the WTC Health Program, which assists people suffering from 9/11-related illnesses, according to the program's website.

Greco said he finds it difficult to understand why he was spared from health effects while others have suffered.

"I worked with guys for six months, side by side, breathing the same fumes and they somehow are affected and I am not," Greco said. "So, this is a day to come and really think about those guys."

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ