‘May Love Be the Last Word’: New Canaan Gathers for 9/11 Ceremony

Rick Rescorla is probably not a household name in New Canaan.

As Police Chief John DiFederico noted on Friday morning, Rescorla had no direct ties to the town. 

Yet his story of “unmatched valor” on Sept. 11, 2001 reflects the same “extraordinary courage” demonstrated by “ordinary men and women” on a day that saw 2,977 innocent lives lost—among them “343 firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers, and dozens of medical personnel who ran directly towards danger so that others may live,” DiFederico told more than 200 people gathered on the front lawn of Town Hall for the community’s annual 9/11 memorial service.

“Rick was a decorated Vietnam veteran who served as director of corporate security for Morgan Stanley in the World Trade Center,” DiFederico said from a podium on the front steps of Town Hall on a picture-perfect late-summer morning. “At that time, Morgan Stanley employed 2,700 employees and occupied 22 stories, 22 floors of the South Tower. Years before 2001, he recognized the structural vulnerabilities of the Twin Towers and foresaw the potential for a catastrophic attack. He insisted on relentless mandatory evacuation drills for thousands of employees, training executives and staff alike to march down the stairway two by two during unexpected fire drills. No one was exempt from his drills.”

When the first plane struck, official announcements from the public address system urged employees to stay at their desks, but Rescorla “ignored these announcements,” DiFederico said.

“Guided by instinct, preparation and unyielding commitment to human life, he grabbed his bullhorn, his walkie-talkie, his cellphone, and immediately ordered a complete evacuation of all Morgan Stanley offices,” the chief said. “As thousands of frightened workers navigated the dark, darkened stairwells, Rick stood on the 44th floor, calm and resolute. To ease their fear and keep order, he sang traditional Cornish songs and ‘God Bless America’ through his bullhorn. His steady voice echoed through the concrete stairwells, transforming panic into purpose. After ensuring nearly 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees made it to safety, Rick was urged to save himself. His reply was simple: ‘As soon as I make sure everyone else is out.’ He turned back around, headed back into the tower to search for any remaining stragglers. He was last seen around the 10th floor continuing his ascent to help others before the South Tower collapsed.”

Rescorla’s sacrifice, and that of his security team, saved thousands of lives—of the 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees in the South Tower, all but 13 (six of them Rescorla and his team) survived.

“Rick Rescorla lived by the sacred creed of service before self, a creed shared by every police officer, firefighter, EMT and paramedic standing before you today,” DiFederico said. “As we reflect on September 11th, let us hold fast to the memories of those that we lost, including New Canaan residents Joe Coppo, Eamon McEneaney and Bradley Fetchet. May we honor their legacy not only with our words, but how we live every day after with kindness, unity, unwavering duty, and love for one another. May God bless the souls of our fallen. May God protect our first responders and armed forces. And may God continue to bless the town of New Canaan and the United States of America.”

Attended by community leaders, municipal officials, emergency responders, local clergy and dozens of residents, the town’s ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks included prayers led by Msgr. Rob Kinnally of St. Aloysius Parish, singing of the national anthem and “America the Beautiful” by Nancy Leville, presentation of the flag by the New Canaan Police Department Color Guard, remarks from DiFederico, Fire Chief William Perritt, New Canaan EMS President Barb Clayton and First Selectman Dionna Carlson. It also included placement of a wreath at the foot of a 16-foot section from the floor of World Trade Center Tower One on the 99th floor, just above the impact point of United flight 175, that stands outside the firehouse on Main Street. Fire officials rang a bell 5-5-5—a pattern used during the telegraph era to signal that a firefighter had died in the line of duty.

Those in attendance included Town Council members Hilary Ormond and Jennifer Zonis, Board of Finance member Maria Weingarten, state Rep. Tom O’Dea (R-125th), Congregational Church of New Canaan pastor the Rev. Dr. Stephen Chapin Garner and First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan pastor the Rev. Dr. Scott Herr.

During an opening prayer, Kinnally called on those gathered “to remember a day of tragedy and transformation with which we have wrestled and on which we have sent up prayers for 25 years.”

“We remember fallen towers, dust and smoke, lives lost, despair and grief,” Kinnally said. “We remember the numbness that overwhelmed us as we watched our screens for hours and hours, waiting for an explanation and an understanding that never came. Oh God of hope and presence, we remember the heroes, those who rushed to help, who guided the wounded down innumerable flights of stairs, who rose to accompany those who held death in their hands. We remember the hours and the days of binding wounds and healing hurts, giving comfort, drying tears. We remember words of support and compassion from nations far and wide. We see the ripples of that tragic day continue to affect our world 25 years later. We grieve with a broken but resilient world as together we wonder if there will ever be an end to violence, to war, to hatred and senseless death. We grieve our world’s inability to learn the things that lead to peace.”

Perritt, describing the day of the attacks from the perspective of the fire service, said that “on that morning, in firehouses throughout New York City, firefighters reported for duty, checked their apparatus, met at roll call.”

“They reviewed recent fires and emergencies, sharing lessons learned to better prepare themselves for their profession,” Perritt said. “They also joked, telling stories about their lives and their families with their firehouse family. Then the bells rang out, the run came in, and they were dispatched to the largest fire in one of the worst disasters in this country’s history. Like firefighters are called to do every day, they kicked off their shoes, donned their turnout gear, and responded—left behind were their shoes on the apparatus floor. Sadly, 343 of these brave firefighters would never return to put their shoes back on.”

For Perritt, the image of lost firefighters’ shoes in firehouses is one of the most poignant images from 9/11.

“This image is heart-wrenching but also inspiring,” he said. “It reminds us of the sacrifice that those firefighters made so that others might live. It is a visual reminder of the dedication and devotion to duty that is at the core of being a firefighter. A firefighter will always respond. Their example calls us to live out our oath, train each day to be prepared to help those in their most desperate hour. Their spirit continues to ride with us to every fire and emergency. For those not in the fire service, this should inspire you as well and maybe make you reflect, ‘How can I help others?’ Today, I ask all of you to spend time thinking about what will make you kick off your shoes and go out into the world to help others.”

Clayton recalled that on 9/11, members of the EMS—known then as the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps—“received a call unlike any they had ever before heard.”

“Signal 1,000, all available EMTs report to headquarters,” she said. “Within minutes, approximately 25 volunteers responded. They gathered equipment, medical supplies, and whatever else might be needed to assist those injured in New York City. Fifteen EMTs departed in an ambulance and SUV escorted by our New Canaan Police Department, while others remained here to protect our community. They traveled toward uncertainty, eventually reaching Chelsea Piers alongside countless first responders from across the region. When they arrived, there were no patients to treat. There were no survivors, but their presence mattered. Their presence mattered. New Canaan EMS answered the call without hesitation. They did not know what they would find. They did not know how long they would be away from their families. They did not know if their own safety could be guaranteed. They simply knew that they were needed. That spirit of service defines first responders everywhere.”

Clayton noted that four of those EMTs continue to serve New Canaan—Lizzy Buckner, Wendy Hilboldt, Troy Haynie and Amy Kennedy. And as a result of 9/11, “others were inspired to become EMTs themselves,” she said.

“Their service is part of the lasting legacy of that day,” Clayton continued. “The attacks of September 11th changed our nation forever. Yet from that darkness emerged something enduring, a renewed understanding of the importance of community, preparedness, preparedness, and partnership. Here in New Canaan, we are fortunate to have a town led by our first selectman, Dionna Carlson, who wholeheartedly supports its EMS, fire, and police departments. We train together, we serve together, and we stand ready together because we share a common mission to help others in their greatest moment of need. That mission remains as vital today as it was 25 years ago.”

Carlson noted that like so many others, New Canaan’s Coppo, McEneaney and Fetchet “left home that morning expecting an ordinary day at work.”

“Instead, their lives were taken, and their families and our community were changed forever,” Carlson said. “We remember them not simply as names, but as sons, fathers, husbands, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. And we remember the heroes who ran toward danger while everyone else was trying to escape. Firefighters, police officers, paramedics, emergency workers and other first responders entered those burning buildings knowing the terrible risk they faced. Hundreds never came home. Their courage represents the very best of America. September 11th was an attack on our people, our democracy, and our way of life. But it also revealed something enduring: our capacity to stand together, to care for one another, and to rise from unimaginable loss. Twenty-five years later, the responsibility belongs to us. We must remember the lives lost. We must honor the heroes. We must teach those who were not yet born about what happened, and we must never forget. May God bless the families who still carry this loss. May God bless our first responders. May God bless New Canaan, and may God bless the United States of America.”

During a closing prayer, Kinnally said, “God, who embraces the cross of human suffering, you know our fear, our pain, our loss. Let your mercy bring healing and hope. Let your love overcome hatred and division. Breathe peace into our world. As we proceed from this moment of remembrance, strengthen us to walk the way of compassion. Bless us on our way, and may love be the last word now and forever.”