Merrick FD Remembers Their Fallen on 9/11 Anniversary

Carol Gies sat and watched as the Merrick Fire Department honored her husband, Ex-Chief Ronnie Gies, who died during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

She said that she was touched by the support of the community. 

"It is very overwhelming that so many people came out to honor him after 12 years," she said. 

Hundreds attended the Merrick Fire Department's 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in honor of Gies and Ex-Capt. Brian Sweeney on Wednesday evening. 

"We came here tonight to say a prayer for Ronnie and and Brian," Ex-Chief John Fabian said. "We are also here for the beautiful people of Merrick who were affected." 

As people stood in silence, Rebecca Posterano of Merrick sang "God Bless America." Afterwards, wreaths with the firefighters names were placed on the department's 9/11 Memorial. 

Stephanie Gies, Ronnie Gies' daughter-in-law, said that she was honored by the love that was shown to her father-in-law. 

"It means so much to us that so many people would come out," she said. 

Towards the end of the ceremony, Legislator Dave Denenberg offered words of encouragement.

"The commercial says that we are stronger than the storm and if we are stronger than a storm that God created, then we certainly are and have always been stronger than any man made storms," he said. "In each generation when we were attacked, we pulled together united and emerged stronger than ever before."