Village Green is marking the 25 years since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, by highlighting the words of South Orange and Maplewood leaders, firefighters, police, EMTs and residents who shared their stories at the 9/11 Memorial service at the Hilton Library in Maplewood on September 11, 2026. The following is an excerpt from South Essex Fire Deputy Chief Steven Cassiello who told the story of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller; Siller ran two miles through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel with 60 lbs of gear on this back to reach the World Trade Center towers, where he lost his life.
“Stephen’s wife, his children, his brothers and sisters and his entire family were left with an unimaginable loss,” South Essex Fire Deputy Chief Steven Cassiello told those gathered at the memorial service. “They couldn’t change what happened. They couldn’t bring Stephen home, but they could choose what they did with their grief, and they chose to serve. In Stephen’s memory, his family created the Tunnels to Tower Foundation, named for the very path Steven took that morning.”
“They took the worst day of their lives and used it to help other families facing some of the worst days of theirs,” said Cassiello. “And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons September 11th can teach all of us. We cannot change what happened. We cannot bring back those we lost, but we can decide what we do with their memories. For those of us who are sworn to protect others, Stephen reminds us what duty means. For everyone else, his story reminds us that service isn’t limited to those wearing a uniform. We all have the ability to help someone else. We all have the ability to carry someone’s memory forward. We all have the ability to make a difference.
“We remember the 343 firefighters. We remember the police officers, EMTs, and other first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice. And we remember every innocent person who went to work, boarded a plane, or simply woke up that morning expecting to come home that night. But we also remember what came afterward. We remember the families who carry on, we remember the people who served, and we remember that even in our darkest moments, we have a choice. We can choose to bring light.
“We can choose to serve. We can choose to take care of one another, and we can choose to keep going. So when we leave here today, let us remember Stephen. Let us remember all those we lost, and let us remember that, the lesson that his life taught us. Grab your gear, take the next step, and keep going. Because even when tragedy changes our lives forever, it does not have to be the end of the story. We can carry forward the memory, we can carry the mission forward, and we can make sure that the lives lost on September 11th continue to make a difference in the lives of others.”
