Jumpline Magazine July 2024 - Flipbook - Page 23
Dave Carter
MDFR Ret.
Retire MDFR Giving Back
23
9/11 Memorial created in Melrose, FL
Like a lot of people,
I remember exactly
where I was on September 11th. I was on duty as a
member of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department.
I watched the attack on the towers. I watched the
towers fall. As a 30-year veteran oreoghter, I knew in
my heart we had lost brothers. I, like everyone else,
was devastated.
Years went by. I retired, moved away, and watched
the tributes and memorials every anniversary. It never got easier to watch. Our burden is to survive, ensuring the
legacy of those lives lost and their names are never forgotten.
Living in the small Florida town of Melrose, I knew we could
come together and create a memorial for those
lost. I wanted something viable, something physical, that we could show people to bring a piece
of New York to Melrose. For years, I pondered
what we could do. The one thought that kept recurring in my mind was a memorial that all could
visit and share their grief. This memorial must be
large enough so that it would stand out for all to
see. A picture by itself was insufocient. It had to
contain images from the event that would make us all remember the magnitude of our losses. A damaged piece from one
of the structures would make a visceral reminder of the events
of that day.
I9m an Air Force veteran and was visiting the National Museum
for the Air Force close to the 20th anniversary of 9/11. While
there, I met retired New York oreoghter Carl Graziano. I told
Carl what I had been toiling over. We share the same drive
and purpose of remembrance. He put me in touch with FDNY
Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh and Lieutenant Tracy Lewis.
They put me in touch with Carl Sheetz, who has been shipping
steel left from the twin towers all over the country. Luckily, after
20 years, he still had what would become our piece. Not want-
ing to ship something so important, a retired NYPD
ofocer named Jim Corcoran drove it down here and
delivered it to us. Every person we encountered on
this months9 long journey was incredibly gracious and
fully encompassed what it is to not only serve our
communities but to honor those who perished on that
tragic day.
Around the same time, I discovered the artwork of
Shawn Maschino and knew immediately one of his
murals would be the perfect backdrop for the memorial. With considerable help from Pat Ward, an Air Force veteran
himself, we were able to contract with Shawn to paint a mural
on the side of our local ore station where Pat and I both sit
as Board of Directors. A local company named
Whitley Steel volunteered their time and materials to create a pedestal to display the beam. A
local mason, Jonathan Coleman, volunteered his
time to create a beautiful courtyard to showcase
the steel and mural behind it.
If you9re passing through Melrose, we9d
love for you to visit the memorial, which
is located at 301 Cypress Street.
About the author:
Dave Carter began his oreoghting career with North Miami Beach
in 1972. He was promoted to Lieutenant after the 1978 merger with
Metro-Dade Fire Rescue. He onished his oreoghting career as a Fire
Inspector and was named Florida Fire Inspector of the Year in 1999.
Dave retired in 2003.
July 2024 | JUMPLINE Magazine
