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Army Reserve chief honors fallen 9/11 Warrior-Citizens

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris
  • 99th Regional Support Command
QUEENS, N.Y. --  Hundreds of service members, families, community members and friends gathered to honor fallen Army Reserve Soldiers during the 911 Remembrance Ceremony held Sept. 13 at the Ernie Pyle U.S. Army Reserve Center on Fort Totten, New York.

The ceremony paid tribute to Lt. Col. William Polhmann, Capt. Mark Whitford, Capt. Michael Mullan, Warrant Officer Ronald Bucca, Staff Sgt. Frederick Ill and Sgt. Shawn Powell, who were killed in the terrorist attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, was the event's keynote speaker.

"Six of the nearly 3,000 who perished that morning in New York were members of our Army Reserve," Talley said. "All of them were heroes."

The event also featured the Army Reserve's 319th Army Band and 1st Mission Support Group, Christ Church Choir of Shirley, New York, and remarks by Paul A. Vallone, New York City council member for District 19 in northeast Queens.

"These heroes who answered the call when tragedy struck will forever garner our utmost respect and inspire us all," Vallone said.

Their sacrifice was only the beginning of the Army Reserve's role in combating terrorism. During the 13 years since the 9/11 attacks, more than 210,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the globe. Thousands have fallen and have been wounded, and thousands more still serve.

"Let's remember these six heroes and all who died in New York and Pennsylvania and the Pentagon, and in the mountains of Afghanistan and in the deserts of Iraq, to serve and ensure the triumph of freedom over tyranny," Talley said.