Canton company, town depts. plan 9/11 remembrance

Generators supplied by FM Generator are stationed near the smouldering ruins of the World Trade Center.

In the late afternoon on September 11, 2001, while the majority of Americans remained glued to their television sets still trying to make sense of the horror that had just unfolded, Canton resident Michael Molway was traveling south in his work truck on I-95, his mind racing with uncertainty as he made his way toward New York City and the site of the worst terrorist attack in American history.

As then president of FM Generator, a Canton-based company with extensive disaster relief experience, Molway had gone down to assess the damage to the cellular infrastructure and already knew “deep in [his] gut” that they were going to need more people, fuel and equipment. Nothing, however, could prepare him for the scene that unfolded as he crossed Canal Street and drove into lower Manhattan.

“There were no more people,” Molway recalled in a 2016 reflection piece published in the Citizen. “The area was evacuated, the streets were empty, and it was pitch black and the dust was falling at a significant enough rate that there were at least two inches of greyish dust on the road. Canal Street also marks the end of the grid pattern of roads, but at that time there was no traffic, no rules, and no laws, so driving up the wrong way on a one-way street was the only way to get to where I needed to go.”

Within hours of his arrival, Molway was assigned to a cell technician who drove him to several sites in the area immediately surrounding Ground Zero. “I was in shock,” he said. “I saw my first view of what was once the World Trade Center buildings reduced to a five-story pile of molten rubble. We watched helplessly as the search and rescue operations were underway from about 50 yards away. Our job was to get communications for these guys as fast as we could.”

Molway said at one location that he was working at close to Ground Zero, he had a clear view of the wreckage and he could “feel the heat from the fires still glowing.” In one particular building, he remembers climbing the stairs and seeing hundreds of pairs of shoes that people had left behind as they ran for their lives. And he will never forget the sight of weary firefighters resting on couches in the middle of a New York street. The couches, he would later learn, had been blown out of the towers and were somehow mostly intact.

In less than 24 hours after their arrival, FM Generator crews had several portable cell towers up and running, and those towers would go on to play a critical role in the initial search and rescue with the aid of cellular “pinging.” Molway himself would remain in New York for 30 days, while rotating crews of FM Generator employees would continue to keep the equipment operational for eight months after 9/11 without interruption.

***

Nearly two decades have passed since Molway was in lower Manhattan and the memories are still seared into his brain. To this day, he gets emotional when he relives those experiences and generally prefers not to talk about it. At the same time, he feels an obligation both to his country and his community to ensure that the events of that day — and the subsequent outpouring of patriotism and unity that followed — are never forgotten.

To this end, and with the 20^th anniversary of 9/11 approaching, Molway formed a committee at FM Generator back in January with the goal of planning a remembrance that would resonate with the community. He wanted to do something of significance, and particularly something that would appeal to younger residents.

“We’ve got a message to give, and my message is for the younger kids especially,” said Molway. “When you think about this whole notion of ‘never forget,’ I’ll never forget it, but our kids, they’ll forget it because they don’t know what it is.”

After consulting with several town departments, the idea was hatched to tie together an entire weekend of events, beginning with a candlelight vigil on Friday night hosted by the Canton Veterans Department at Veterans Memorial Park and culminating with an interfaith blood drive at the Canton police station on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

In between, on Saturday, the anniversary of 9/11, FM Generator, in partnership with the Canton Fire and Police departments, the Revere Heritage Commission and Northern Spy restaurant, will host a “Day of Remembrance” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Paul Revere Heritage Site. The event will feature a panel of speakers, kids activities, and a display of 9/11 history inside Copper Mill Hall, located on the second floor of the Revere rolling mill above Northern Spy.

The theme of the remembrance will be “Passing the Word,” and Molway said it dovetails perfectly with the legacy of Paul Revere, who played a key role in the American Revolution when he helped “pass the word” to the colonists that British forces were pushing toward Lexington and Concord.

“That’s what Paul Revere did on his midnight ride — he passed the word,” said Molway. “And that’s what we want to do is pass the word to the kids about the legacy and significance of 9/11.”

The 9/11 memorial at Canton Corner Cemetery, dedicated in memory of Canton native Michael Uliano

According to Canton Fire Chief Charlie Doody, that educational element has always been an important part of the Fire and Police departments’ annual 9/11 remembrance, which is usually held in front of CFD headquarters. Each year, the Fire Department invites students from St. John the Evangelist School to attend the event as well as student musicians from Canton High School, who assist by playing Taps in memory of the fallen heroes who perished in the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

“We try to involve students, just to give them some idea of the enormity of the day and why it’s important to remember it,” explained Doody.

The chief noted that the annual 9/11 remembrance is also particularly meaningful to emergency personnel because it serves as a reminder of the 343 firefighters and 60 police officers who died on that day while fulfilling their duties at the World Trade Center. Their legacy, said Doody, remains top of mind among Canton’s firefighters and it can be seen every day on the windshield of Engine 6, which is dedicated to the members of FDNY Engine 6 who died in the line of duty.

While organizers are quick to emphasize that Saturday’s event is not a celebratory occasion, both Molway and FM Generator President Julie Mitchell said that some of the events, particularly those geared toward kids, are designed to highlight the spirit of patriotism that was felt in the days and weeks after the attacks.

“While we certainly don’t want to forget September 11, we also don’t want to forget September 12 and the unity and patriotism that was felt across this country,” said Mitchell. “We’re trying to recreate that feeling [with Saturday’s event].”

“In the days after 9/11, there was no black; there was no white,” added Molway. “There was no union or nonunion. There was no racism, no crime. Everyone was like, ‘We’re Americans and we’re going to fix this problem.’ It was amazing to see.”

Of course, Saturday’s ceremony will also be an opportunity to remember the thousands of lives that were cut short, including that of beloved native son Michael Uliano, who perished in the North Tower along with 656 of his Cantor Fitzgerald colleagues. Uliano, a local sports legend with a larger than life personality, was only 42 when he died, leaving behind his wife, mother, eight siblings, and countless friends and admirers.

Molway, although he attended Xaverian for high school, went to middle school with Uliano and remembers him fondly. Select Board member John Connolly, another member of the Class of 1978, played football with Uliano at CHS and they remained friends well into their adult years.

Connolly was instrumental in having a permanent memorial installed in Uliano’s honor at Canton Corner Cemetery, and he visits the site often and talks out loud to his old friend. He can still vividly remember hearing about Uliano’s passing for the first time while walking from Pete’s Place to attend a vigil for 9/11 victims at Canton Town Hall. “I just kept saying, ‘It can’t be true. It can’t be true.’”

Connolly said he will always have great memories of Uliano and the person who he was. “I mean that with all my heart and soul,” he said. “He was a hell of an athlete, a great friend and a great person, a kind-hearted person.”

For Molway, it is the memory of people like Uliano, and countless others who were lost in the blink of an eye on that fateful Tuesday morning, that makes this weekend’s events so important.

“I believe the course of humanity changed direction on that day, and it’s so important that people remember,” he said. “And for those who were too young, it is critical that we get them to understand what this day meant. We need to pass this word.”

Share This Post

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=76592