MOUNTAIN HOME — Standing beneath a clear blue sky reminiscent of that fateful September morning, retired FDNY Captain John Ceriello addressed a crowd at Veterans Plaza during a ceremony commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The event featured prayers, reflections, and tributes to those killed in 2001, as well as acknowledgments of the sacrifices made in the years since.
Ceriello, who served 37 years with the New York Fire Department and retired as captain of Rescue 1 last year, traveled to Mountain Home to honor the day. Speaking in front of a monument containing a 50-pound piece of steel from the World Trade Center, he highlighted the national impact of the attacks, which he said transcended New York City. “That attack wasn’t just targeted at FDNY,” Ceriello told the crowd. “It ran out across the lakes and valleys and rivers of the whole country.”
The memorial, brought to Mountain Home by firefighter Tommy Feliccia, serves as both a tribute and a reminder. Feliccia, who organized and emceed the event, emphasized the responsibility to preserve the memories of that day. “The responsibility to remember now belongs to all of us,” he said, asking attendees to ensure the sacrifices of that morning are never forgotten.
The program began with a prayer from John Foreman, who reflected on the courage of first responders and asked for blessings on those gathered. Representative Stetson Painter recalled his personal experience as an eighth grader on September 11, 2001, describing how the attacks motivated him to serve in the Army. For his generation, he said, “9/11 is our Pearl Harbor.” He also acknowledged the toll the attacks have taken beyond that day, noting the illnesses that have claimed thousands of survivors and first responders in the years since.
Ceriello echoed the importance of remembrance, especially in a country where nearly a third of the population is now too young to remember the events of September 11. He said ceremonies and monuments like the one in Mountain Home are vital to teaching younger generations about the attacks and their aftermath. Speaking about his own experience, he shared the loss of seven colleagues from Squad 18 and the personal pain their absence continues to bring. “We broke bread around a table on numerous occasions,” he said. “I lost these friends that I had for the last 25 years.” Still, he emphasized resilience: “We’re stronger than ever. You can knock us down, maybe for a little while, but we will rise up.”
Feliccia concluded the event by reading a prepared statement, reflecting on the bravery of first responders and the unity that emerged in the wake of tragedy. “We are here to make sure that their sacrifice is never forgotten,” he said. The ceremony ended with a moment of silence and the ringing of a ceremonial bell to honor the 343 FDNY members who perished in the line of duty on September 11, 2001.
After the ceremony, local emergency personnel and their families gathered for a meal at the Mountain Home Community Center gym, a tradition organized by Feliccia to foster camaraderie among the departments. Ceriello, meanwhile, stayed an extra day to lead a free fire operations class hosted by IAFF Local 4496 at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, where firefighters from across the state were in attendance.
The remembrance events in Mountain Home precede the annual memorial stair climb organized by Feliccia, scheduled for Friday morning at Bomber Stadium. The climb begins at 8:46 a.m., marking the exact time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center 22 years ago.