Day like this was unlike any other [Times Union, Albany, N.Y.]

Sept. 12--ALBANY -- Everyone said "it was a day just like this."

"It eerily resembles that morning nine years ago," Congressman Paul D. Tonko said to a small crowd gathered Saturday at Empire State Plaza for the 9/11 remembrance ceremony. "Calm winds, a beautiful uninterrupted deep blue sky, and then the shock wave hit. Buildings shredded, lives shattered and dreams suffocated."

And everyone remembered exactly where they were nine years ago.

"I'll never forget the look on Katie Couric's face when I turned on the television that morning," said Sandra Mason of Guilderland. "I knew something was terribly wrong. My son worked at Albany Medical Center and called to say he would not be coming home because they expected a large overflow of injured. No one came."

Antonia Brown was in music class.

"Someone came in and said there was just an attack, then everything just abruptly stopped," Brown said. She later stepped up to the podium and poured her heart and soul into the National Anthem. The words echoed off Corning Tower, which gleamed in the bright sun in the background.

There appeared to be more Albany and Defreestville firefighters, color guard members, elected and appointed officials and members of the media at the ceremony than onlookers.

Steve Buonome of Saratoga Springs watched and listened as he sat alone on one of several low stone pillars installed at the plaza as a security measure against terror attacks.

"I felt it was important to do something today," Buonome said as Colonie Police Department bagpiper Chris Smith played a solo somber tune.

New York Army National Guard Chaplain Eric W. Olsen was one of many who responded to the events at ground zero that morning.

"Lives forever changed lie in the echoes of that event," Olsen told the gathering. "Our nation is still grieving, and at times we are still angry, but I hope our anger is never against the faith of people.

"Our enemies are alive today because we are a country of restraint. We have the power to turn their countries to dust."

Albany County Executive Michael Breslin suggested the country should not be distracted by arguments about the threats to burn Qurans by the minister of a Florida church, or the building of a mosque near ground zero.

"We should always remember and concentrate on the fundamental values we have that the terrorists were striking at," Beslin said. "We should lower our voices and talk to one another."

State Labor Commissioner Colleen Gardner noted that Monday is the deadline for first responders to sign up with the department to ensure they remain eligible for future benefits in the event that they experience medical complications from working at ground zero.

"For many, it is burned into their memories. the days of going through the rubble to find some ember of life," said Assemblyman Jack McEneny.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, 2,977 people died when 19 al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 was crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower, followed by United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. and United Airlines Flight 93, headed toward Washington, crashed near Shanksville, Pa., at 10:03 a.m, after the passengers and flight crew members on board fought with the hijackers. There were no survivors.

Bob Gardinier can be reached at 454-5696 or by e-mail at [email protected].

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