'Never Forget': Milford Remembers Victims Of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

MILFORD, CT – Never Forget. Those were the words Milford Mayor Richard Smith issued during Milford’s Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony.

Milford Remembers Sept. 11, 2001, ceremony was held at Live Oaks Elementary School at 9 a.m.

The ceremony included the Milford Police Department and Milford Fire Department honor guard processional, the Pledge of Allegiance by Dr. Anna Cutaia, superintendent of schools, and the National Anthem, which Milford Public Schools and Live Oaks Students led out.

During the ceremony, there was a moment of silence to honor all those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, especially Michael Miller, Avnish Patel and Seth Morris from Milford.

“We do this every year in Milford,” Keith Mello, Chief of Police, said. “Milford did lose three residents, two of whom went to this school. So this has an added meaning, but Milford wants to remember, like any other community in Connecticut or the country. They don’t want to forget.”

“They want to make sure the young people remember as well,” Mello added. “Because never forgetting means passing it on to the next generation.”

Many community members attended the ceremony, and members of Milford’s Police and Fire Department were also present during the ceremony.

“Police officers, firefighters and EMS had a job to do during Sept. 11, 2001, and they were committed to doing the job,” Mello said. “Our focus is always on others, not just ensuring people stayed safe, but making sure they felt safe.”

Mello said during Sept. 11, 2001, he was in Long Beach, Calif., at an FBI conference.

“I got a bang at my door at 5:30 a.m., and I was told to turn my TV on,” he said. “We knew that we had to get back. In fact, hundreds of FBI agents needed to get back to New York. The planes were all grounded. So, everyone rented cars and drove back. We flew home three to four days later when they opened the airport's backup.”

Mello said the Milford Police Department sent about 10 officers to New York City at the request of the New York City Police Department to provide security at various sites.

“They were there for several weeks,” he said. “Everyone came together.”