Assemblyman Biondi: 'Freedom is not Free'

Assemblyman Peter Biondi, a former township mayor and an honorary member of Hillsborough Volunteer Co. No. 3 on Woods Road, was simple and direct about his feelings on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Speaking to residents gathered at the firehouse for the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial Garden, Biondi said he felt both sorrow and “just plain damn anger."

"Freedom is not free,’’ he said. “There is always a price to pay.”

For photos and a story on the ceremony at Hillsborough Fire Co. No. 2, click here.

Biondi, who recalled that he “couldn’t believe what I was seeing” on the morning of Sept. 11,  2001, was one of the speakers at the ceremony that unveiled the fire company’s 3-ton granite monument with a 6-foot twisted steel beam from the fallen Twin Towers.

Inscribed in the granite is: “In honor and remembrance of the 2,732 heroes and victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Sept. 11, 2001, and to celebrate the enduring spirit of all Americans.”

Mark Brownlie, president of the fire company, said the monument and the memorial garden were completed on Tuesday after more than a year-and-a-half of work.

Assistant Fire Chief Christian Fulmino said the monument and memorial garden will be open to all.

"It’s here for everyone to come and remember,’’ he said.

The ceremony, which started at noon and was completed before the national moment of silence at 1 p.m., was as somber as the overhead gray skies.

In an emotional tone, Fire Chief Charlie Nuara said the 9/11 victims’ “stories will always touch our hearts.”

Mayor Gloria McCauley said Americans’ "security was changed forever" by the 9/11 attack.

“We stood united as we reflected on our new reality,’’ she said. “We will never forget.”

The mayor also honored “our first-responders who go into harm’s way” to rescue others.

Carmine Nuzzolo, a member of the fire company who retired from the New York City Fire Department, spoke about the strong and special relationships among his fellow firefighters. He recalled the family atmosphere in the firehouses where he served, first in Manhattan and later in Staten Island and how veteran firefighters became his mentors.

Nuzzolo remembers how his comrades visited him in the hospital after he was injured in a high-rise fire and how all the firefighters looked out for each other, changing work schedules in case one had a family emergency.

Though Nuzzolo said he was not personally acquainted with any of the 343 New York City firefighters who died on Sept. 11, Nuzzo said “somehow I know them."

"They were my friends and I will miss them,’’ he said.

Woods Road members stepped one by one to the microphone and read the names of the firefighters who died on 9/11. Diane Nagy, president of the Woods Road Auxiliary, read the names of the 37 Port Authority Police officers who died in the attacks and township Police Chief Paul Kaminsky read the names of the 23 New York City Police officers who were killed.

The fire company’s 9/11 Memorial Garden Design Committee was Bob Brock, Brian Brownlie, Mark Brownlie, Auggie Calcado, John Cauda and Sam Rozycki.

Serving on the 9/11 Memorial Garden Dedication Committee were Mark Brownlie, Christian Fulmino, Mike Murphy and Charlie Nuara.

Contributors to the project included 911 Carting and Septic (John and Linda Shockley), A. Pigna and Son Mason (Rick Pigna), Belle Mead Co-op, Central Jersey Nurseries (Vince Lipani), Corporate Graphics (Paul Valenzano), Country Classics (the Van Cleef family), Disney/ABC Television VoluntEARS Program, Hillsborough Irrigation (Ken Schrer), Hillsborough Rotary Club, Hillsborough Volunteer Fire Co. No. 3 Auxiliary, Kulinski Memorials (Rich Kulinski), Landscape Materials Inc. (Doug Urbano), Lou’s Truck Repair and Towing, Weldon Concrete (T.J. Johnson), and Westpax LLC (Pat Weston).